Steve Clarke keeps imminent Scotland focus as he shuts out Euro 2024 noise with 'people wanted me out in June' quip

Steve Clarke reckons his Scotland squad is so good they won’t need the playoff spot to reach Euro 2024.

The national boss is buzzing after Tuesday’s battling draw against Ukraine secured top spot in Nations League Group B1. Clarke’s men won promotion to the top tier for the next instalment of the competition, bagged a guaranteed safety net of a playoff for Euro 2024 and landed in the second group of seeds for the qualification draw in two weeks’ time – avoiding the likes of England and France. They could also land the added bonus of a pathway into the World Cup play-offs depending on how UEFA decide to allocate additional places.

The Scotland gaffer is thrilled to bag a back up shot at Germany 24 but he’s convinced his group have shown over the last fortnight they can earn their spot automatically. The top two teams in each of the 10 groups will go straight to the Euros and Clarke said: “Instead of taking a step forward this week, we’ve taken a giant leap.

“We’ve found another way to play, we’ve found other players in the squad who can do very, very well for us. The squad is stronger. I don’t think with this group of players that we will need it (the play-offs). That’s my honest opinion.

“We want to improve. You see it in the players and their performances this week.

“It’s nice to have the safety net of the play-offs but I feel we can qualify outright. We are seeded two and I would expect this team to qualify directly.”

Scotland are on an upward cycle again but Clarke will demand more. He said: “I haven’t looked at who is there yet or who we can get. I want to enjoy this week. I want the Scottish public to enjoy this week.

“I want the players to go away feeling absolutely brilliant about themselves. But let’s not