Hard work, modesty and McTominay: how Scotland qualified for Euro 2024

The finality of the last European Championship stung Steve Clarke. Scotland had waited since 1998 to reach a major tournament. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic meant a further 12-month delay for the impatient Scots. Celebrations of a fine performance during the scoreless draw with England at Wembley – which in hindsight were over the top – only abated shortly before the 3-1 defeat against Croatia in Glasgow.

On the morning of 23 June 2021, Clarke bid farewell to his squad and the long-awaited adventure was over. The claiming of a single point from three games triggered the latest wave of concern over where Scotland stood in the football ecosystem. England shrugged off Scotland’s spirited attentions when progressing to the final. Clarke locked himself away and sulked.

A playoff defeat against Ukraine denied Clarke the opportunity of an immediate response, at the World Cup last year. Yet fuelled by the pain of 2021, Scotland are European Championship qualifiers once more. The blissful simplicity of this feels remarkable in itself.

Curiously, this is the third time Scotland have been confirmed as Euro participants while idle. A game between Norway and Spain delivered the technicality which sealed Scotland’s berth in Germany next summer but it would be wildly unfair to depict this as a campaign which required favours.

By the time Clarke’s men had won five matches out of five – Spain and Norway were both swatted aside on that run – it was only a matter of time. There were easier sections than this yet Scotland breezed through with two games to spare. Relief will only resonate in the fact the Scots will not have to face Erling Haaland in November needing anything by way of tangible return.

Clarke’s aspiration will not