Former Reading FC manager Steve Clarke has written a remarkable new chapter in his career after guiding Scotland to World Cup qualification, ending a long wait for the Tartan Army.
Clarke, who managed Reading during the 2014–15 season, has transformed Scotland since taking charge, instilling the same defensive rigour and tactical clarity that Royals fans saw glimpses of during his time at the club.
The highlight of Clarke’s tenure came in the 2014/15 campaign when the Royals made it all the way to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
An historic night with a 3-0 win over Bradford City in the quarter finals took the Royals to Wembley.
The Royals put up a valiant fight against Arsenal Wenger’s Arsenal, who won the game in extra-time after Adam Federici spilled Alexis Sanchez’ effort before the Gunners went on to lift the cup.
However, things turned sour after he held talks with Fulham over the potential of becoming their manager, despite ultimately deciding to turn the opportunity down.
Clarke was then sacked by Reading in December 2015 after a year in charge.
Since then, he has been assistant manager at Aston Villa, manager at Kilmarnock before becoming Scotland’s national team manager in 2019.
A Historic Moment for Scotland
Scotland’s qualification marks their first appearance at a World Cup since 1998, a breakthrough forged through disciplined performances and a core of players who have flourished under Clarke’s steady leadership.
His side navigated a gruelling qualifying campaign with a resilience that has become their hallmark, clinching their spot with a nerveless result that sparked jubilant scenes across the country as late goals from Kieran Tierney and Kenny McClean clinched a 4-2 victory over Denmark.
