Clarke wants Scotland to 'do something special' on World Cup return

Steve Clarke has expressed his desire for Scotland to achieve something special as they return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. The team will kick off their Group C campaign against Haiti on Sunday at 2am UK time, before facing Brazil and Morocco. Clarke, the first Scotland coach to lead the nation to three consecutive major tournaments, insists they are not just there to participate.

Reflecting on past disappointments, Clarke acknowledged that Scotland failed to impress in their opening matches at Euro 2020 (0-2 loss to Czech Republic) and Euro 2024 (1-5 defeat to Germany). He stressed the importance of learning from those experiences. "The Germany one's easy. Don't get humped," he quipped, adding that the Czech Republic match was a tighter contest that simply didn't go their way.

Good news for Scotland: Scott McTominay has recovered from an upset stomach and is available for selection, although Scott McKenna will miss the opener. Haiti, making their first World Cup appearance since 1974, are expected to be fully committed opponents. Clarke noted, "They have qualities that can cause us problems. We have to deal with those problems and then bring our best game when we have the ball."

Clarke concluded, "It's great to be here, but we also want to do something special." Scotland are in Group C alongside Haiti, Brazil, and Morocco.