To be talking about football at all... it’s just not important

STEVE CLARKE admits he has struggled to watch the gruesome television images of death and destruction in Ukraine. He also knows that anything he says about the situation in the war-torn country has the potential to sound trite.

Yet, with £10 of every ticket sale for Thursday’s friendly against Poland pledged to UNICEF’s humanitarian effort, the Scotland national team has the opportunity to do something tangible and good. ‘It’s horrible,’ said Clarke. ‘I’ve got to be honest, most of the time I’ve got to get up and get out the room or turn the television off.

‘Because to see somebody lying dead in the street, to see kids crying on the trains as they are pulling out of the station is just heartbreaking. ‘Even sitting here talking about football and friendly games, it’s in the back of my mind.

‘We are going to try to raise as much money as we can for UNICEF to distribute and help the people of Ukraine, but it’s just horrendous.’ Scotland had actually been scheduled to face Ukraine three times over the coming months, after the draw for the UEFA Nations League paired the countries together.

‘I’ve never been to Ukraine and I was looking forward to getting there in the Nations League,’ said Clarke. ‘Hopefully, we still can, but I think that one is probably an even longer shot than Ukraine getting to Hampden to play a semi-final.

‘The whole situation is just something that was unimaginable six months ago. It’s just horrific.’

The rescheduling of the postponed World Cup play-off will take precedence over those Nations League matches, with the SFA hoping an accommodation can be made in June. However, with no guarantee the conflict will be over by then, FIFA are already discussing contingencies. ‘There must come a point where a decision has to be made,’ added Clarke. ‘Hopefully, the powers that be will make that decision at the right time in consultation with the Ukrainian FA. ‘My hope as we sit here now in the middle of March is that we can play Ukraine in June. That would mean we are in a much better place.

‘Anything that can boost the morale of the country and the people that are in there fighting on the front line would be good.’