The reason Aaron Hickey snubbed Scotland U21s as Bologna star's dad issued strict instruction

The world has changed considerably since Steve Clarke last took charge of his Scotland side.

Given what has gone on over the past few weeks, a sense of perspective has settled over the progress of our national team, like a huge dark cloud.

What seemed back then like the most important thing on the planet – qualification for a Qatar 2022 – now feels like an almost grubby, completely out of kilter wish at a moment when real-life carnage is being unleashed against the nation that stands in Clarke’s way.

Albeit a little awkwardly, the Scotland manager has to get on about his own job of planning for a match that probably will never happen against a country with a more important matters on its mind.

No such worries existed back at the end of last year when Clarke and his players were riding high into the play-offs, off the back of a stunning run of results. Now, rather than take on Ukraine next week for a place at the World Cup, they will take part in a fundraising friendly against neighbours Poland, in the hope of adding significant cash to the ongoing humanitarian effort on the ground.

Against such an appalling backdrop of human tragedy and suffering, the loss of Scotland’s feel-good factor is a casualty we can all live with.

But, nevertheless, it’s the manager’s job to bring it back.

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