Steve Clarke has not closed the door on staying on as Scotland head coach beyond the World Cup – but will not have any contract talks before then.
Clarke hinted last year that the upcoming World Cup campaign would be the last act of his international career, saying in August: “I’m pretty sure in my own mind that I’ll be coming up to 63 and it might be time to do something else.”
But the former West Brom, Reading and Kilmarnock manager is keeping an open mind ahead of the qualifying group campaign, which takes place in the autumn.
When asked how likely he was to leave after the World Cup campaign, Clarke said: “I’ll go on percentage – 75 per cent. That’s something that I haven’t spoken to my bosses about.
“I’ve decided that I want to run the contract down. Obviously, if we have a fantastic year and get to the World Cup and do well at the World Cup, maybe somebody will persuade me to stay.
“But at this moment in time, I’m happy to run my contract down. And I want to go to America. That’s the bottom line. I want to help this group of players to get to the World Cup in America.”
Clarke was speaking after naming his squad for the UEFA Nations League play-offs against Greece later this month. Victory in the two-legged tie would retain Scotland’s place in the top tier.
🏴 Steve Clarke has named his first Scotland squad of the year, as we prepare to face Greece next week.
➡️ Read more here: https://t.co/NADruIraIL🎟️ Tickets available here: https://t.co/lf8X0AQezX pic.twitter.com/2U1zv4TnRV
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) March 11, 2025
Scotland also face the same opponents in autumn’s World Cup qualifiers along with Belarus and either Portugal or Denmark.
Clarke, who succeeded Alex McLeish in May 2019, said: “I’ve still got 10 big games this year to determine my future moving forward.
“Whether I stay here or whether I go somewhere else, the next year can determine my future. I think it’s a little bit too early to be talking about me leaving or me staying.”
When asked if he still had ambitions to return to club management, the former St Mirren and Chelsea defender said: “I’m always open to other suggestions.
“I’ve enjoyed being the head coach of Scotland. I’m determined to enjoy this year being the head coach of Scotland. We’ll see where that takes us.”
