Steve Clarke last night heaped praise on super skipper Andy Robertson for dragging Scotland back onto their feet after last week’s shattering World Cup KO.
Clarke’s side romped to a comfortable 2-0 Nations League win over Armenia at Hampden - just seven days after the play-off heartache which ended their hopes of reaching Qatar 2022.
And the manager was quick to thank Liverpool stalwart Robertson for the part he played in lifting morale in the days following that shattering defeat to Ukraine.
He said: “I’ve got to mention the captain. He was outstanding. He was outstanding in the dressing room before the game. Himself, John McGinn and Callum McGregor are leaders, taking us onto the pitch in a good frame of mind.
“It was three good performances from them but I thought the captain was exceptional.
“He’s just great in general. Being a captain and leader is something Andy has grown into. And it’s something which doesn’t get mentioned as often as it should do.
“Captains are important at this time in the dressing room. They are the ones people look to step up.”
Headers from Anthony Ralston and Scott McKenna had Clarke’s side in cruise control before the break - with both goals coming near the end of a high tempo first half performance.
The manager made six changes to the side which crashed out of World Cup contention last week at home to Ukraine - with two more group matches to come in Dublin and Armenia in the next six days.
And he was delighted to see them get off to such a strong start despite last week’s painful World Cup elimination.
He went on: “I think it means our preparation was pretty good. Some people might have looked and asked why I gave them a couple of nights off.
“It was just to freshen the mind. I knew they would be up for the game. They wanted to start another unbeaten run and do well in the Nations League.
“Every time they turn up for their country they want to do well.
“It was a good result and a good performance, hopefully the start of another unbeaten run.
“Professional athletes have to move on. You can think about the last one, you have to think about the next one. The next one for us was the Nations League campaign and we’ve got off to a good start.”
Scotland could have made the result far more comfortable but had a thyroid ruled out for offside before the interval and also passed up a series of big chances throughout in the driving rain.
McKenna had a second goal chopped off before the break for offside and John McGinn rattled the crossbar in the second half.
But none of it could dampen the enthusiasm of a manager who needed his team to bounce back from last week’s crushing disappointment with nothing less than all three points.
Clarke went on: “It was important to refresh it but also important for the players who played last week and were able to go again.
“We will now rest and recover, then we’re on a flight to Dublin where we expect a tough game. We look to keep going.
“We knew we’d have to work hard to break Armenia down and that’s what we did.
“We kept trying the right thing at the right time and eventually we got the goals.
“It was great for Tony to score a goal on his debut for Scotland.
“I thought he was good in the game but I had no real doubts about Tony because he plays for Celtic and they come against opposition who sit in and defend.
“So I knew he would find the right positions on the pitch.
“McKenna did well too - the whole back three worked well together as a unit.
“If Scott hadn’t been quite so impetuous and got himself half a yard offside he’d have had a double tonight. So it was good for him and a good night for everyone.”
