Clarke hails his ‘fantastic’ players following Scotland seal marketing to best tier of the Nations League

Steve Clarke hailed his Scotland heroes soon after they secured Nations League glory in opposition to Ukraine in Krakow.

Beset by all fashion of damage and ailment complications in the make-up, the Scots fought magnificently in spite of being down to the bare bones. Clarke lavished praise on the defensive heroics of Ryan Porteous and Jack Hendry, in individual, branding the pair ‘outstanding’.

Hibs star Porteous, handed an intercontinental debut, was immense at the back together with Hendry as Scotland clinched the stage they wanted to gain their group.

They are now promoted to Team A and have the basic safety net of a enjoy-off for Euro 2024 to drop again on.

They will also go into Pot Two for the key European qualifying attract — and Clarke was delighted with the exertion demonstrated by his gamers.

‘We wanted to display folks that what transpired in the summer was not us’, he said in reference to defeats to Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland in the Globe Cup participate in-offs and Nations League respectively.

‘We desired to be improved this week. We pressed a big button to reset. 3 wonderful performances, all different, but all essential.

‘Ryan Porteous was excellent for a debut. I’m so happy for the boy, it shows that he listens that he learns.

‘I’m also so delighted for Jack Hendry – it was a huge check with for Jack. Anyone expects Callum McGregor and John McGinn to play a few online games with that intensity.

‘But I experienced to talk to Jack to do that all over again – he was battling a bit with a chilly, but he was remarkable in all a few video games.

‘Ukraine are a incredibly great workforce, we understood they’d have times in the activity and inquire Craig [Gordon] to make will save – he did that as he always does.’

Scotland will be in amongst the major guns of European football when they are promoted to Group A of the Nations League.

Tuesday night’s goalless draw in Krakow rounded off an exceptional 7 days for Clarke’s aspect, on the again of victories over Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland at Hampden.

Clarke was delighted to see his gamers demonstrate grit and desire to defeat a sickness bug which experienced ripped by means of the camp on the eve of the match.

He also insisted that Scotland ought to be hunting to qualify for the subsequent Euros straight, somewhat than relying on the participate in-off.

‘Sometimes that can galvanise you. Probably I in excess of-egged it a little bit to galvanise us,’ he said. ‘It was a huge evening for us. We required to earn the segment.

‘I sat down with my workers and mentioned we had to be a lot more demanding of the gamers (right after the summer time). These gamers are desperate to do well for their nation and have taken it on board.

‘I advised them to consider us to the next move, to make positive we do. This will make us truly feel fantastic about ourselves. The supporters, way too. The relationship involving players and supporters is superb.

‘I do not want to cease. We want to continue to keep acquiring much better and much better. The engage in-off is secured, but I never think we’ll need to have it.’