Steve Clarke says guiding Scotland to a “0-0 win” against England at Euro 2020 was one of the highlights of his seven-year tenure with the team, which ended on Saturday.
Clarke stepped down in the wake of Scotland’s group-stage exit from the World Cup, with a 1-0 win over Haiti on matchday one not enough to see them qualify as one of the best third-place finishers, following defeats to Morocco and Brazil.
They have now reached nine World Cups without ever advancing past the first stage, the most of any nation, while all four of their European Championship tournaments have also ended in the group phase.
Clarke is, in terms of tournament qualifications, the most successful manager in Scotland’s history, after leading them to the last two editions of the Euros and this World Cup.
None of those competitions saw Scotland get past the first hurdle, though Clarke still has fond memories of them, as he recalled in an open letter to fans.
And he ranks a goalless draw with England at Euro 2020, which was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as one of those moments he will always savour.
“My job remit was simple: qualify for a major tournament,” Clarke wrote. “As I reflect on my seven years in the job, my overriding emotion is pride, closely followed by satisfaction.
“To be the first coach since Craig Brown, in 1998, to lead the country to the finals of a major tournament was the stuff of dreams. It gave the nation some welcome cheer from the restrictions of the pandemic.
“Although the tournament was, for us at least, a bit of a damp squib, there was an unforgettable night at Wembley when we more than matched the eventual beaten finalists England and held them to a 0-0 win!
“The biggest disappointment of that tournament was the absence of the Tartan Army in their tens of thousands.
“Roll on three years, and we did it again, this time overseas in a great footballing country, Germany. With no COVID restrictions, this time the Tartan Army made sure they were there in even greater numbers than ever before – after all, it was a 26-year wait for the older members of the battalion.
“Again, we came up short in the matches, but a marker had been set and a new generation of Scotland supporters took my squad to their hearts. Qualify, and they will come in their thousands.
“While emotions are raw following our [World Cup] elimination, I genuinely believe that if we continue to qualify regularly for these tournaments, we will inevitably break the glass ceiling of reaching the knockout phase.
“Let us not forget that the players won a World Cup finals match for only the fifth time in Scottish football history, and the first in 36 years. The team were responsible for giving everyone the chance to create memories that will last a lifetime, and I am proud to have played a part in that.”
