Even defeat to the Auld Enemy failed to significantly dampen the current optimism amongst the Tartan Army. Steve Clarke has transformed the nation’s fortunes across the last four years and Scotland will emerge at the Estadio La Cartuja on Thursday night with the chance to secure qualification for Euro 2024.
Thousands of Scots will flock to Seville and many will already have booked up flights and accommodation for Germany next summer. After years of apathy around the national team when Hampden was rarely full, the current feel-good factor should be enjoyed and it’s certainly justified.
Scotland has recorded five wins from five to sit proudly top of Group A and it would take an almighty collapse not to secure qualification. Clarke brought the country together during an unprecedented time when he ended Scotland’s 22-year absence from major tournaments by reaching Euro 2020.
A win against Spain would replicate that achievement but Clarke is wary that Luis de la Fuente’s men will be a different animal as they seek revenge after Scott McTominay inspired Scotland to a famous win at Hampden in May.
“Looking back on it now, you don’t think it at the time, they were obviously a team in transition,” said Clarke. "They had a disappointing World Cup. Luis de la Fuente had just taken over. He wanted to look at certain things within the two games at the start of the camp.
“They were maybe thinking about the Nations League final in the summer, which they won. So maybe it was a good time to get them. But we have now put ourselves in a really good position with 15 points. We go there and if we get a positive result we can qualify. It would be nice to qualify really early for a tournament instead of doing it the Scottish way.
“When we played Spain here in March we pretty much did everything right. We followed the, I don’t use the word game plan because I hate it, tactics we had and on the night they worked well for us. Spain has obviously come alive in the group in the last two games, with 13 goals, and six points.
"They will want to finish top, they will probably want to get a little bit back on us for the result in March. We have to be ready for that, we have to be ready to play 100 per cent, to play as well as we can play. I think if we can do that then we can get something from the game.
"Listen, they are a very talented group of players. Spain has always been in the top echelons of European football and that goes back a few years. Always a talented team, always doing well in the World Cups and the Euros. So you know you are going to be playing against top, top players and hopefully our top players can step up and be as good as the Spanish boys."
David Marshall secured his place as a national icon when he saved Aleksandar Mitrovic’s penalty in Serbia to send Scotland to their first major tournament since 1998.
It sparked wild scenes across the country during a period of adversity amid the Covid pandemic when people were forbidden from gathering to celebrate. Although thousands of Scots descended on London for the England game, attendances were limited at Euro 2020 and Clarke hopes the Tartan Army can enjoy a proper tournament atmosphere - if Scotland qualifies for Germany next summer.
He added: “Obviously it [Euro 2020] was in Covid times, so it would be nice to have the full Tartan Army there. I think the fact it is in another country and you have to do the travel to be there is different too.
"There are lots to recommend qualifying. But the first thing we have to do is qualify. Then we can maybe speak a bit more about how good it is going to be or how it is going to be great for us. But I am one of these guys who like to get over the line before I start talking too much about what lies ahead for us.
“It was a strange time anyway. Covid was a strange time. The training camp was a little bit detached from Scotland if I am being honest. We were down in England. We did all our work down there. It was definitely a different tournament. But it was still nice to be involved in it.”
Scotland now possesses players with the quality and international experience to reach major tournaments on a regular basis. Clarke has shown immense loyalty to build a togetherness within the squad and they are reaping the rewards.
Scotland failed to perform at Euro 2024 and their inability to qualify for last year’s World Cup remains a black mark on Clarke’s impressive tenure but the experienced manager believes his squad have benefitted from their tournament experience.
“It was great,” Clarke added. “ It was a great experience to be at a major tournament. It was obviously disappointing that we didn’t get the results that we wanted to get.
"I said coming out of the tournament that we would be a better team, a better squad, for it and I think we have proved that over the last three years. We have definitely improved as a team and a squad. Hopefully, if we get to another tournament we will improve again.”
