Steve Clarke says Scotland benefitting from playing higher-quality opposition

Steve Clarke believes Scotland are reaping the benefits from being “put through the mill” by a string of high-calibre opponents as they bid to secure their place in the top tier of the Nations League at home to Greece on Sunday.

The Scots endured a demoralising run of just one win in 16 matches between September 2023 and November 2024.

That period included friendlies against England, France and Netherlands, each of their three Euro 2024 group-stage matches, and then Nations League Group A1 fixtures against Poland, Croatia and Portugal.

Having won each of their last three matches at home to Croatia, away to Poland and away to Greece in the Nations League play-off first leg on Thursday, Clarke feels the gruelling run of fixtures his team has faced over the past 18 months is now bearing fruit.

“We’ve been to France, we’ve played England, we’ve played Holland,” said the Scotland boss.

“I put them through the mill with those games but eventually you get the experience.

“So when we went to Greece the other night, we knew what to expect and the players were able to handle that.”

Scotland are currently 45th in the rankings, but Clarke is adamant they are now a better team and more equipped to deal with top-tier nations as a result of the fixtures they have faced.

“We have improved,” he said. “If you look at the world rankings, it will tell you different. That’s a little anomaly that seems to have popped up with the Nations League.

“But as a team we have improved and the players have improved at this level too. We understand what it takes to win a game at this level. Thankfully, recently we have been able to show we can do that.”

Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie will be available for Sunday’s second leg at Hampden after being suspended for the first leg in Piraeus.

“I’ve seen Ryan a couple of times for Bournemouth and people will tell you that he is playing a slightly deeper role but when you watch Bournemouth play, he is still the one who is leading the high press and is the one that gets after the game and gets forward to the edge of the box,” said Clarke, who has generally used Christie in an attacking role.

“All they have done at Bournemouth is given him a nominal position, if you like, but he plays the same way Ryan plays. It does not matter where you play Ryan on the pitch, he brings energy and quality and that is what he always brings for us as well.”