'i Feel The Pressure' - Clarke's World Cup Stress

Scotland caput coach Steve Clarke has conceded he "feels nan pressure" to get nan federation to their first World Cup finals successful 28 years.

Under Clarke's guidance nan Scots person reached 2 European Championships, but person grounded to emulate nan accomplishment of Craig Brown's group successful 1998.

The country's latest qualification campaign, this clip for adjacent summer's finals successful nan United States, Canada and Mexico, commences distant to nan formidable Danes connected 5 September.

"I consciousness nan pressure," nan stoic and usually unshakable Clarke told BBC Sport.

"I deliberation location is simply a unit because we do want to get there, nan full state wants to get there, and evidently arsenic a caput coach a small spot of that comes backmost connected me.

"But I'm looking guardant to it."

The Scotland leader was speaking to Match of nan Day's Kelly Cates arsenic he prepares for what perchance could beryllium his past campaign.

The 61-year-old, who is owed to sanction his squad adjacent week, has antecedently said he is 75% judge his clip successful complaint of his state will travel to a adjacent aft this World Cup run ends.

It is simply a travel which started conscionable complete six years ago, pinch Scotland having not qualified for a awesome finals since that French sojourn backmost nether Brown.

A summertime fling has been flung doubly astatine nan Euros, albeit pinch nan Scots falling level successful their attempts to make it retired of a group for nan first time.

In World Cup qualifying, a glorious chance to make it to Qatar was passed up successful a location play-off to Ukraine.

But nan erstwhile Kilmarnock manager, who is successful statement to go Scotland's longest serving boss, says nan group are wished to put that right, albeit while facing a qualifying group which besides contains Greece and Belarus.

"I knew it was coming up, I didn't cognize it was that close," he said of nan record.

"If I get location past we'll astir apt talk astir it then, but nan astir important point is not maine becoming nan astir capped Scotland head aliases whatever, nan astir important point is for nan squad to get to America adjacent year.

"We've sewage a awesome group of players. They're each wished to dress up for what we consciousness was a missed chance to spell to Qatar successful 2022 and hopefully we tin do it."

Clarke added: "I deliberation nan squad of players that I've worked with, we've shown that we person nan capacity to suffice for awesome tournaments. Even nan past World Cup, nan existent group shape of nan qualification was good.

"I deliberation we vanished pinch 23 points down Denmark. Denmark vanished pinch 27. We had a awesome campaign. We sewage to nan play-offs and conscionable fto ourselves down connected nan nighttime against Ukraine successful what was beautiful different circumstances.

"We'd had to hold from March to June to play nan game. There was evidently nan warfare which had conscionable started successful Ukraine. It was a difficult nighttime and we didn't play arsenic we tin play.

"The players that I've sewage successful nan squad that were progressive successful that 1 are wished to put it correct this time."

The Steve Clarke Interview pinch Kelly Cates will beryllium disposable to watch connected iPlayer from Friday 22 August.