Steve Clarke will take charge of his 72nd match as Scotland manager when Belarus visit Hampden Park on Sunday — a new national record.
Clarke surpasses Craig Brown as Scotland’s longest-serving manager by games, a milestone he admits brings pride but insists won’t distract from the bigger goal.
“I’d be daft if I wasn’t proud,” Clarke said. “But it’s not about me. It’s about getting to the World Cup.”
Since his appointment, Clarke has guided Scotland to two major tournaments and now aims to make it three. “We’ve qualified twice, but we’re greedy. We want to do it again,” he said.
Thursday’s win over Greece left Scotland level on points with Denmark at the top of Group C. With two games remaining — away to Greece and at home to Denmark — Clarke wants focus and discipline against Belarus.
“If you want to qualify, these are the games you have to win,” he warned. “You can’t drop points against teams ranked below you.”
Clarke expects Belarus to be organised and stubborn. “They’ll make it difficult, but it’s up to us to break them down and excite the crowd,” he said. “The players need to give the fans something to shout about — and I’m sure they will.”
