Is this first step of Clarke's last Scotland dance?

"I appreciate the Scotland supporters have waited a long time for the national team to qualify for a major tournament."

In May 2019, Steve Clarke's manifesto as the new Scotland head coach was a straightforward one: get the country to its first major tournament since 1998.

The landscape has changed drastically since then, and in no small part to him achieving that feat. Two appearances at European Championships were carved out, raising hopes and rocketing expectations.

But as we approach what Clarke himself has hinted at being his last campaign in charge, there is one summit which has yet to have a Scotland flag planted atop it.

Earning an appearance at a World Cup would surely be Clarke's highest achievement, with the squad charged with helping him get there for the first batch of qualifiers against Denmark and Belarus having been announced on Monday.

Watch: The Steve Clarke Interview

22/08/2025

If we are being honest, the Clarke era got off to a shaky start.

It took an Oliver Burke goal in the 89th minute in front of only 30,000 fans at Hampden to see off Cyprus in a tense European qualifier.

Despite the passing of six years, a glance at that line up still shows some familiarity to the current squad.

Scott McKenna, Andy Robertson, Kenny McLean and John McGinn all started. A fresh-faced 22-year-old Scott McTominay had to settle for a spot on the bench.

According to Transfermarkt, Clarke's starting XI had a squad value of £70m, with a bench of £40m. Fast forward to now, the team which started against Greece in March had an purported value of £130m, with the substitutes totting up to £60m.

What does these estimates indicate? Simply, the quality of player at the former Kilmarnock manager's disposal has significantly approved during his time in office.

"The squad's always evolved," Clarke told Match of the Day's Kelly Cates.

"If I look at my very first squad, I think I've got six or seven players, maybe eight, that are still involved in the international scene.

"So, there has been an evolution of the squad even going into the last set of matches this summer, I tried to introduce a few more younger players because you try to get depth within your squad.

"Is this the best squad that we've had? We'll find out when we get to the games."

There are various factors. Young players such as McTominay now hitting their prime, a general upgrade in key positions, return of long-term absentees like Aaron Hickey and Kieran Tierney, and the Italian factor.

The aforementioned McTominay was last season's player of the year in Serie A as Napoli won the title. His glittering performances last season were also recognised by a Ballon d'Or nomination.

The former Manchester United man is not the only talent who has proven himself on Italian soil.

Billy Gilmour is also a league winner, Lewis Ferguson is the Bologna captain and won the Coppa Italia, while teenager Lennon Miller has swapped Motherwell for Udinese following his international debut earlier this year.

Let's also not forget about Che Adams at Torrino.

"It probably goes back a few years to Aaron Hickey when he left Hearts and went to Bologna and did really well," said Clarke.

"On the back of that, Lewis Ferguson's gone there, was the best midfield player in Serie A, not last season but the season before. He captained Bologna to win the Coppa Italia last year.

"So they've done great. Che's gone out and had a really good first season. Billy's gone out to the same club as Scott.

"We've got young Lennon Miller who has just gone to Udinese. It'll be interesting to see how that pans out for Lennon. But it seems to be there's definitely a route for the Scottish boys to go there and play."

One is a new one, another is a long-standing sore point.

Let's start with the former. For decades, the Scots have been blessed with excellent goalkeepers. Leighton, Goram, McGregor, Marshall, Gordon.

The latter, Hearts captain Craig Gordon, is the only one still playing but the 42-year-old is currently injured.

Angus Gunn has been Clarke's more recent first choice, but following his release from Norwich City last season, has yet to play a game for new club Nottingham Forest.

Cieran Slicker endured a horror debut in June as Scotland lost 3-1 to Iceland in Glasgow. Liam Kelly is second choice at Rangers, Ross Doohan isn't playing for Celtic, meaning Gordon's replacement at Hearts, Zander Clark, will likely start after being selected with Gunn and Kelly.

In terms of the long-standing problem, Scotland have struggled for a prolific goalscorer.

Clarke's top scorer across his tenure is John McGinn with 20. In second place is fellow midfielder McTominay with 12.

Only three strikers - Lyndon Dykes and Adams on nine and Lawrence Shankland on three - make it into the top 10.

Hibernian's Kieron Bowie has made it into the squad again as fans look to him as their bright new hope.

The Scotland head coach was in the stand at Easter Road when the 22-year-old crashed in a stupendous effort in Europa Conference League qualifying for the Edinburgh side.

He is quickly garnering a big reputation, and made his Scotland debut in the summer against Liechtenstein.

"It was quite a special moment for everybody in the stadium I think but especially for Kieron," said Clarke.

"His overall performance in that game was particularly good. Kieron's one that I sort of picked up on a few years ago when I was watching the under-21s.

"Obviously he's young, he has to keep developing. He's a little bit of a rough diamond and needs to polish up a little bit in certain bits, but he's hit the ground running this season and as a young player that can only be good for Scotland."

In March, Clarke said he was "75%" sure he'd be leaving after his World Cup watch was over. Either in qualifying, or going out spectacularly somewhere across the Atlantic.

What you can be 100% sure of is that Clarke doesn't say something for the sake of it. He's not a man for off-the-cuff remarks that haven't been carefully pondered first.

While Scotland's lot has grown markedly and there have been landmark moments along the way - opening last summer's Euros and drinking Munich dry being the obvious high point - there has been a flatness when at these tournaments on the pitch.

The novelty of being at the party wears off quickly, and there's a yearning from the Tartan Army for their team to show the doggedness which chased Spain off the park at Hampden, or the endeavor that stunned Norway in Oslo and Croatia in Glasgow.

Those three winless games in Germany also added to a run of 15 without a victory from 16, one which was finally arrested last November.

There is also the unfulfilled dream of walking out at a World Cup for the first time since 1998. Surely the biggest challenge left for him to face.

The Scotland head coach has already delivered on that pledge from 2019. But he's not done yet. The greatest stage of all is now there for him and his team to grace.

This may well be Clarke's last dance, and the first step of it has taken place on Monday.