There is something almost endearingly Scottish about Steve Clarke's account of how he secured a new contract with the national side — a quiet bit of pressure applied through the back pages, a nervy few weeks of negotiation, and a governing body that, by his own description, needed a gentle fright before they got things over the line. Not exactly the stuff of boardroom confidence.

Clarke, speaking publicly for the first time since Scotland's exit from the World Cup finals in the Americas, lifted the lid on the behind-the-scenes tensions at an event hosted by the Spartans Community Foundation in Edinburgh. In conversation with former Chelsea and Scotland teammate Pat Nevin, the 63-year-old explained that by March of this year he had grown uneasy about the SFA's silence.

"Obviously we got to March and I hadn't been offered a new contract, which I thought was pretty strange," Clarke said, as quoted by The Scotsman. "You start to think, are they hedging their bets a little bit, waiting on the tournament in the summer."

His response was to nudge things along through carefully chosen words in the media — a tactic familiar to anyone who has watched football's long game play out in press conferences and column inches. It worked, after a fashion. Talks began in earnest from the start of April and dragged on until mid-May, just before Scotland's warm-up fixture against Curacao.

"I said to them if we don't agree a new contract before we go to the World Cup then I will say I am leaving the job," he recalled. "They panicked a little bit and gave me the new contract. It was like drawing teeth trying to get it over the line."

That contract, of course, turned out to be brief in practice if not in duration. Clarke always had a private understanding with himself: fail to get Scotland beyond the group stage, and he would walk. In the end, results in the Americas made the decision straightforward. A 1-0 win over Haiti was followed by a 1-0 defeat to Morocco, and then a 3-0 loss to Brazil that left Scotland watching the tournament's arithmetic play out from a hotel in Charlotte for four or five days — days Clarke described as "the longest four or five days ever."

He had already told media ahead of those anxious days of waiting that Scotland needed four points from the group to have a realistic chance of progressing as one of the better third-placed sides. He was criticised for a perceived lack of faith. He was, as he pointed out with some quiet satisfaction, correct.

What is perhaps most revealing is Clarke's candour about why he felt the time was right to step aside regardless. After the defeat to Brazil, he spoke to several senior players and came away with a clear sense that fresh leadership was what the squad needed — a new voice ahead of Euro 2028, for which Scotland will be co-hosts alongside Ireland, Wales and England.

"I sensed the players needed freshness in the dressing room," he acknowledged. It is a mature read of the situation from a man who always understood the job required more than tactics; it required feel.

Clarke has since spoken to new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli to wish him well. He also offered something close to comfort for Scottish supporters still bruised by yet another group-stage exit: as co-hosts, Scotland are virtually guaranteed a place at Euro 2028 regardless of qualifying results, with two berths reserved for the best-ranked host nations who do not qualify via the standard route. Clarke's wry summation? Even Scotland cannot fail to qualify. Whether that reassures or just slightly stings probably depends on where you watch from.

Frequently asked

Why did Steve Clarke leave Scotland after the World Cup?
Clarke had privately decided before the tournament that he would resign if Scotland failed to progress beyond the group stage. After a 3-0 defeat to Brazil left them without enough points to advance, he stood down despite having signed a new four-year contract shortly before the competition.
How did Scotland do at the World Cup finals?
Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 in their opening game but then lost 1-0 to Morocco and 3-0 to Brazil. Their goal difference was not good enough to progress as one of the better third-placed teams, and they were eliminated at the group stage.
Will Scotland qualify for Euro 2028 automatically as co-hosts?
As a co-host nation, Scotland are in a strong position regardless of their qualifying results. UEFA has reserved two places at Euro 2028 for the best-ranked host nations who do not qualify as group winners or runners-up through the standard qualifying process.