Steve Clarke breaks silence on abrupt Scotland exit as he reveals SFA deal ‘shove’ and can’t resist brutal quip at star

Clarke became the most successful boss in the history of the national team by taking Scotland to three major finals but shocked many by calling time on his stint just weeks after penning a new deal.

He was speaking for the first time in public since Scotland‘s disappointing World Cup exit with just three points to their name courtesy of a one-goal win over Haiti, in a Q and A hosted by pal Pat Nevin and Eilidh Barbour at League 2 side Spartans.

Barbour, who Clarke was somewhat harshly criticised for being abrupt with in a post-match interview, joked: “We’re friends now, it’s fine.”

Clarke is not the type to throw his players under the bus and isn’t going to start now, although in a lighter moment on the night he couldn’t resist a joke about what befell veteran centre half Grant Hanley when he failed to trap Morocco star Ismael Saibari offside and was punished with the only goal of the game.

He joked: “Big Grant was still singing the national anthem two minutes into the game!”

One more serious matters, as he admitted he felt it was ‘pretty strange’ that he hadn’t been offered a new contract just months out from the tournament, Clarke revealed how he decided to ‘control his narrative’ by giving the SFA ‘a little shove’ in the media.

But he insisted he always had it in his mind to walk away from the role if Scotland couldn’t get out of the group for the first time.

He had previously hinted he was more likely to leave the job in the wake of the World Cup in any case.

Belgian star Sebastian Pocognoli has now taken over the reins, with his first squad imminent ahead of upcoming Nations League matches.

Speaking to Nevin at the Q and A at The Spartans, as reported in The Scotsman, Clarke said: “It was never really a change of mind.

“I am quite a complex person. I wanted to control my narrative.

“Obviously we got to March and I hadn’t been offered a new contract, which I thought was pretty strange.

“You start to think are they hedging their bets a little bit, waiting on the tournament in the summer.

“So I did a little bit in the media in March to give the SFA a little shove.

“We negotiated non-stop from the beginning of April really to the middle of May, just before the Curacao game.

“And I said to them if we don’t agree a new contract before we go to the World Cup then I will say I am leaving the job.

“They panicked a little bit and gave me the new contract. It was like drawing teeth trying to get it over the line.

“But we got it over the line anyway.

“But I always knew in my head that if we did not get out of the group stage then I would probably leave.

“The only way I would have stayed on is if they had been three fantastic games and they went against you.”

Clarke was pillaried for his defeatist attitude after Scotland ended the group with just three points – but as it turned out another point against either Morocco or Brazil was the least that was required.

He said: “I knew we needed four points.

“I got hammered in the media for saying that.

“Somebody hammered me for saying, ‘nah, that’s us, we are going home’. But I was right.”

“We had to stay for four or five days (in Charlotte), the longest four or five days ever just sitting and waiting, knowing you are going home because the goal difference was not good enough,”

Clarke – who threw his weight behind the SFA’s attempts to engineer more game time for young players – admitted it’s great to be able simply to spend more time with his grandkids.

“It was very nice to sit with the family and be in the family.

“Normally you are sitting with your family and your head is away somewhere else. It was nice to be in the company and actually enjoy their company.”