Scotland's new era beckons as foreign coach to be considered amid 'hysterical' Steve Clarke commentary

Within minutes of Scotland’s fate being sealed in the early hours of Sunday morning due to being one of four third-placed teams to miss out on the knockout stages of the tournament, Clarke had convened his players in a meeting room at the team hotel in Charlotte to inform them that he was standing down.

It brings to an end to his seven-year tenure as head coach. He has presided over 81 matches - the longest innings of any Scotland manager - and bows out having taken the team to two European Championships and a World Cup. On each occasion, Scotland have failed to advance past the group stage.

Scottish Football Association officials have already begun the process of identifying Clarke’s successor, with a Nations League campaign due to commence in September. SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell revealed there have already been notes of interest as he paid tribute to Clarke and lamented some “hysterical commentary” of Scotland’s performance back home.

Clarke penned an open letter to Scotland fans over the weekend and took part in an in-house SFA interview to explain why he wanted to quit as head coach. He reportedly waived any compensation due to him following his early departure from the four-year contract he signed only last month.

“I spoke to him on Saturday and he’d made his mind up that he wanted to step down,” explained Maxwell. “I can understand why. I think obviously we’ve not performed as well as we wanted to. I think there’s been some fairly hysterical commentary back home, which hasn’t helped. But ultimately, it’s up to Steve.

“He’s been incredible, fantastic for us. The last thing I want is his reputation or legacy tarnished in any way, shape or form. I think it’s important that we recognise the significant achievements that he’s done. The meeting last night when he told the players, the emotion in that tells you how much they think of him and how much he thinks of them.

“It’s very raw, but once the dust settles and we take a step back, I think we need to be proud of the journey that got us here.”

Maxwell admitted the process for a new head coach “starts now”. The CEO added: “I’ve woken up to messages from a few people who are interested in the job. I think we’re a really attractive job for the right head coach. We need to make sure we appoint someone who continues to drive us forward.

Asked for a timeframe, Maxwell replied: “As soon as we can - but as long as we get the right coach.”

Maxwell admitted that the next manager could be a foreigner – Scotland’s first since Berti Vogts. “Nothing is off the table,” he added. “We need to cast the net as far and wide as possible. It’s about getting the right coach, it’s not necessarily about where they come from. It’s up to us to make sure we pick the right one.”

Regarding Clarke’s new contract, signed only last month to 2030, Maxwell stressed the intention was to let everyone focus on the job ahead. “We wanted to come into the competition in as stable a position as possible and extending his contract did that,” he said.

"It eliminated any talk of what was going to happen afterwards. Obviously we find ourselves in a position that nobody wanted to be in. We wanted to perform well and do what no Scotland team had ever done before in a group stage and we weren’t able to achieve that. The succession planning starts now.”

Will players follow Clarke’s cue?

Amid the managerial uncertainty, it is not known if any players may follow Clarke’s cue and step away from international football. The manager was a popular figure among the squad. The players all drifted away from the team’s base in North Carolina yesterday, some returning to Glasgow on a charter flight and some straight to join families already on holiday.

It has been a bruising tournament culminating in Clarke’s resignation after a seven-year spell in charge. During this time he became Scotland’s most successful-ever manager after leading the team to three major tournaments. However, breaking Scotland’s knockout stage hoodoo eluded Clarke.

His open letter to supporters in the early hours of Sunday morning included his firm belief that the team would “break the glass ceiling of reaching the knockout stage before long”.

He reflected on the journey after leaving Kilmarnock to take the Scotland job in 2019. He viewed taking charge of the national side as unfinished business after winning just six caps as a player and being excluded from two World Cup squads as well as missing out on a European Championships finals in Sweden.

“From my opening game against Cyprus in front a half-empty Hampden Park - and a largely apathetic crowd - to the frenzy of such unforgettable matches as our 2-0 defeat of Spain and that memorable night against Denmark,” he recalled.

“There were magical occasions; nights that will endure in Scottish football folklore. This reconnection was never more evident than during the past few weeks.

“From Miami to Boston and New Jersey our fans won the hearts and minds of the American public and football fans across the world.

“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."