Former Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has revealed he had to 'cajole' the Scottish FA into offering him a new contract just before this summer's World Cup finals. Clarke, 63, felt the governing body was 'hedging its bets' regarding his future.
Speaking for the first time since the tournament, Clarke explained that he 'did a little bit in the media in March' to 'give the SFA a little shove' for a new deal. Negotiations took place from April to mid-May, with Clarke threatening to announce his departure if a contract wasn't agreed before the World Cup.
Despite signing a four-year contract, Clarke maintained he always planned to resign if Scotland failed to progress beyond the group stage. Scotland secured a 1-0 victory over Haiti, but 1-0 and 3-0 defeats to Morocco and Brazil respectively meant they did not advance.
Clarke also spoke to new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli last week, wishing him well. He believes Scotland cannot fail to qualify for Euro 2028, given that two spots will be reserved for the best-ranked hosts who do not qualify as group winners or runners-up.