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Figure caption,'People were clamouring for me to go'
ByJonathan Sutherland & Andy BurkeBBC Scotland- Published14 minutes ago
Steve Clarke says his near U-turn to continue as Scotland head coach was based on his conviction he is the best man for the job.
The 62-year-old, who has also been inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame, recalled a "clamour" for him to go after his side's Euro 2024 disappointment.
Scotland lost to Germany and Hungary and drew with Switzerland at the finals two years.
Clarke had suggested at the beginning of their World Cup qualifying programme he was around 75% sure it would probably be his last campaign.
He then rated his chances of staying on as 50-50 after securing a place in this summer's finals.
But this week it was announced the head coach had signed a new deal that will run until 2030, by which time he will be in the post for 11 years.
"I've probably got a better understanding of what's next than somebody coming in fresh," Clarke told BBC Scotland. "That was a lot of the thinking behind it.
"After the last Euros, it was obviously disappointing - a lot of people were clamouring to get me out of this position.
"I had a good think about it. I knew I had a group of players that could qualify for a World Cup and we decided, or I decided, that was the path I would take. The qualification obviously went as well as we hoped it would."
Clarke also believed "it was always important" to agree new terms before this summer's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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"It keeps the stability around the position of the squad and hopefully the future of Scottish football," he explained. "It gives everybody clarity moving forward.
"At the end of it, it was quite an easy decision because obviously I know how much the players enjoy being together. I know how they enjoy working with myself and the staff. It just felt right to continue."
The former Chelsea and Kilmarnock manager believed he was better placed to lead the team than a new manager at this juncture.
Before Saturday's friendly with Curacao at Hampden, he added: "I've been looking at the younger ones and you're thinking, 'OK, what's there for the future'?
"Between tournaments, between the first Euros and the second Euros, there was about nine, 10 changes. Between the second Euros and this World Cup squad, there's another nine, 10 changes. And you're looking down and thinking, 'OK, can I find more? Is there more down there, is there more talent?'
"It's still our job to try and find competition for them so that you've got maybe got a younger one coming up and you're saying, 'well I think in four years' time, this one's going to be better than that one and it's time for the old guys to step aside'.
"There is a natural evolution. Sometimes people want an evolution quickly. We've shown that, with the stability we've had over the last seven years, it's a pretty good way to work."
Scottish Football Podcast: Scotland v Curacao preview
29/05/26
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