How Nottingham Forest stole Steve Clarke's Scotland motivational tactics and the golf day that could make all the difference

Steve Clarke may have come up short in his attempt to inspire an end to Scotland’s long World Cup drought but his motivational qualities are not there to be questioned, according to defender Scott McKenna.

Extolling the Scotland manager’s ability to rouse players, the Nottingham Forest centre-back claims the national boss even had a roundabout role in influencing the City Ground club’s return to the English Premier League for the first time in 23 years.

The former European Champions and erstwhile sleeping giants defeated Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final with one of Clarke messages proving a galvanising force.

“Obviously with a play-off game there is a different atmosphere,” said McKenna. “I didn’t play in the play-off games that got us to the Euros but I was part of the squad and saw how the boys prepared.

“I have Steven Reid [a former member of the Scotland backroom staff] as a coach at Forest as well. He actually stole a couple of Steve Clarke’s quotes when we were having team meetings heading into the play-off semi-final and final.

“There was actually one a lot of the lads bought into. I think having that sort of bond and that sort of experience helped us get over the line.

“It was: ‘Don’t play with the fear of failure, play with the anticipation of success’. That was one that was plastered all round the dressing room going into the semi-finals and final and it was one Steve Clarke put up before the Serbia game.

“For a lot of people, going into those games, it’s hard. ‘I don’t want to be the one that makes the mistake. I don’t want to be the one that costs the team’. But, you can’t play like that. You’ve got to play with freedom and try to think about the positives and what you can do to impact the