'There's no conversation to have': Scotland boss Steve Clarke given strong assurances over future

Ian Maxwell, the SFA chief executive, has stressed that nothing has happened in recent weeks to give him cause to regret handing Scotland manager Steve Clarke a new contract last year.

The international side suffered a bruising as well as exhausting last international window when they suffered World Cup elimination at the hands of Ukraine and then crashed 3-0 to Republic of Ireland in the Nations League in Dublin.

Two wins provided some comfort but could not gloss over the more serious ramifications of the two defeats.

Even Clarke himself said the players had failed in their primary objective to reach the World Cup. “Two wins against Armenia are not going to make this international camp a good one – because it wasn’t,” the manager reflected.

Maxwell has had more time to apply some perspective. Although Clarke came under heavy criticism from some quarters earlier this month, the chief executive, who last month celebrated four years in the post, said “there was no conversation to have” when it came to the question of the manager’s future.

The manager has a contract running until after qualifying for Euro 2024 and has already stated he would like the opportunity to take Scotland to the World Cup finals in 2026.

He has now received unequivocal support from the head of the SFA.

“There’s no conversation to have, there’s genuinely no conversation to have,” said Maxwell. “There’s been nothing that’s happened that gives me any doubt at all that he is the guy for the job.”

Speaking after the SFA’s agm and for the first time since Scotland exited the World Cup qualifying equation, Maxwell revealed the governing body recorded a record turnover of £48m.

“A big part of that is the men’s participation in the Euros and hosting the