Clarke 'had in his head' what he wanted to do

STEVE Clarke said it was a straightforward decision to step down from his role as Scotland head coach because he always planned to depart if the World Cup did not go to plan.

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The 62-year-old told his players on Saturday night, at their hotel in Charlotte, that he was bringing the curtain down on his seven-year reign after it was confirmed that the Scots had failed to get out of a group containing Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.

The shock announcement came exactly a month after he signed a new four-year contract that would have incorporated Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.

In a Scottish Football Association interview reflecting on his time in charge, Clarke - heavily criticised in some quarters following back-to-back defeats by Morocco and Brazil - said he was leaving “just because that’s the feel.”