Steve Clarke waves farewell after stepping down as Scotland head coach

Steve Clarke waved to waiting media as he left Scotland’s team hotel in Charlotte following the World Cup exit which led to him stepping down as head coach.

After taking three points from a possible nine in Group C, with a goal difference of minus three, Scotland needed a series of results elsewhere to go their way in order to advance to the knockout phase of a major finals for the first time.

But Croatia’s 2-1 win over Ghana on Saturday night confirmed the Scots’ exit from their first global showpiece since 1998, and moments later came the shock announcement of Clarke’s departure from the Scottish Football Association.

Clarke last month signed a new deal which would have taken him to 2030, but he told Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell that he was calling time on a seven-year tenure which brought qualification for three out of four major tournaments.

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Steve Clarke steps down as Scotland boss after World Cup exit confirmed

He led Scotland to three out of the last four major tournaments

The 62-year-old was criticised for how his side performed at both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, as well as this summer’s World Cup in North America, where a 1-0 win over Haiti was followed by a 1-0 defeat by Morocco and a 3-0 loss to Brazil.

Maxwell described the overall mood around the Scotland camp as one of “sadness”, with emotions “still raw”.

Players left the Grand Bohemian hotel in dribs and drabs throughout Sunday, with John McGinn, Liam Kelly, Lawrence Shankland, Grant Hanley, Lewis Ferguson, John Souttar, Andrew Robertson and Kenny McLean departing in various FIFA liveried cars.

Around 3pm local time, Clarke came out the main entrance of the hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Scotland were based, and waved twice to the small band of reporters, photographers and video journalists before being driven away.