'I didn't know': Steve Clarke caught off-guard by his next Scotland milestone as he explains Ben Doak dilemma

Clarke will take charge of his 62nd match of the national team against the Portuguese. This will move him into outright second place in the number of matches at the helm of Scotland, ahead of Jock Stein and Andy Roxburgh, who clocked up 61. “I didn't know,” admitted Clarke, before smiling to the press officer: “You didn't tell me that!”

Clarke was asked to articulate how being second in the all-time standings feels. “Proud, obviously, to be mentioned in the same breath as people like Mr Stein and Mr Roxburgh, who still sends me the occasional email just to keep in touch,” said Clarke. “No, listen, it's really good.

“It shows you that the players have been fantastic for us over the last five-and-a-half years of my reign as head coach. I'd like to add a few more to the number, if I could.”

Clarke is currently ten games behind Craig Brown, who presided over 71 matches for Scotland. Having taken over in 2019, Clarke’s contract was extended on the back of reaching this summer’s European Championships until the end of Scotland’s 2026 World Cup campaign. He would almost certainly need to see out his deal to surpass Brown.

“I don’t need any extra motivation. I want to see out my contract. I want to go to the World Cup,” stated Clarke when asked if such a milestone gives him extra motivation to see it through. “I believe this squad of players are good enough to go to the World Cup in America in 2026. That's all I'm focused on.”

Scotland’s recent form has raised some doubts over Clarke’s future among the Tartan Army, regardless of the support the 61-year-old has from within the Scottish Football Association. One win - against Gibraltar - in 15 matches is not good reading for the ex-Kilmarnock boss. But there is credit in the bank: back-to-back European Championships qualifications and ascension to Nations League Group A, in which the latest challenge presents itself against Cristiano Ronaldo and Co on Tuesday.

Scotland’s three defeats so far in League A1 with the creme-de-la-creme of European football have all been close affairs: 3-2 by Poland, 2-1 by Portugal, 2-1 by Croatia. A switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation has elicited some good performances with a shorn squad despite the results. Clarke insists Scotland are going through a “process” - essentially they are on a journey to their destination. Everyone wants that to be the World Cup in two years time.

Clarke will hope the journey does not hit a significant obstacle bump in the shape of a heavy reversal against Portugal, or next month against Poland or Croatia. That would pile extra pressure on Clarke as he tries to ride out the storm of losing matches. Without so many key players - Angus Gunn, Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson, Scott McKenna, Jack Hendry, Kieran Tierney and John McGinn, plus other squad mainstays - the manager also has to balance drip-feeding uncapped players into the unforgiving environment of international football.

Clarke has seven uncapped players in his ranks for Tuesday night. Goalkeepers Jon McCracken and Robby McCrorie, defenders Nicky Devlin, Jack MacKenzie and Liam Lindsay plus midfielders Andy Irving and Connor Barron will all hope for some game-time, but Clarke is always a prudent head coach, biding his time to make the right move.

“It's very difficult to get the balance right between throwing players into an international game when maybe they haven't felt that level,” said Clarke. “It's a very difficult one for us. Obviously, we didn't train much yesterday. It was a recovery day for the boys who played.

“It was a very light training session this morning, so it was recovery, recovery. We will assess that with my coaches tonight and we'll see if there are areas of the team that we can freshen without putting any players under too much pressure to come into a match of this magnitude. So I have to get the balance right.”

That weighing-up extends to Ben Doak, the 18-year-old on the lips of many supporters right now. The on-loan Middlesbrough winger made his first start for his third cap against Croatia and showed moments of his undoubted ability in Zagreb. Is he ready to start again? “Physically ready, yeah, for sure. It's just whether I choose to start him or not, that will be my choice,” Clarke said.

Clarke is understandably protective of Doak. He does not want another Scotland “wonderkid” to fall by the wayside. "You've always got the balancing act,” continued the head coach of the only teenager in his squad. “We know Ben is a talent. We want Ben to be a talent for the next 15 years, not the next 15 months. As I always say, don't put too much pressure on him - he's just a young man. He will make mistakes in the game, he will do some really good things in the game.

“It's to get the balance right between giving Ben the opportunity to play, because he's more than capable of taking them, but also making sure we protect him a little bit and we don't overhype. Sometimes maybe in the past there have been players that have been a little bit overhyped that don't fulfil their potential. The most important thing for Ben is that he fulfils his potential and if we can help him do that, that's what we'll try and do.”

Clarke will lean on his core of experienced players against Portugal. Captain Andy Robertson will win his 78th cap against Portugal and move into outright fourth in the all-time appearance standings, while goalkeeper Craig Gordon should land his 77th and move into joint-fifth alongside Alex McLeish.

“I thought Andy was absolutely outstanding the other night for us,” added Clarke. “He's a leader. He's grown into that role. He's been great for his country over the years. He doesn't always get the credit he deserves, but we appreciate very much how well Andy does for us. And getting the balance between the players that are capped, someone gave me a number for young Billy Gilmour. Billy's one of the youngsters, but he's got something like 33 caps already.

“So we're already starting to grow the next generation of players. As well as trying to be good now, I'm also trying to leave a little group of players that are ready to go and carry on. I've mentioned it before, we don't go 20 years after this group of players stops. We go 20 years without the success that we all want. We all want to be involved in the major tournaments.”

There can be little doubt of Clarke’s appetite to be in charge when the World Cup qualifiers come around next year. He has more petrol in the tank, potentially enough to overtake Brown. But in this tough little spell, it’s about making sure he doesn’t run out of road.