STEVE CLARKE reckons Scottish football is in a good place.
The national team boss was optimistic over the future of Scottish football after seeing Rangers progress to the final of the Europa League, Celtic improve under Ange Postecoglou and Hearts guarantee group stage European football.
Celtic will go straight into the Champions League group stage after reclaiming the Scottish Premiership title.
Rangers - after an agonising Europa League final loss this term - will be in the third qualifying round for the Champions League next season.
And Hearts, who were third in the league and Scottish Cup runners up, are in the Europa League play-off round where they'll either advance to the group stage or drop into the group stage of the Europa Conference League.
Fourth and fifth-placed sides Dundee UNited and Motherwell will go into qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
Scotland boss Clarke has been impressed with the quality shown from Scottish sides and reckons the European qualification will only go to improve the standard.
He told PLZ Soccer: "I think Scottish football is in a good place.
"I think it is fantastic what Rangers did to get to a European final in this day and age when other countries have got really good teams, big budgets.
"No English teams in the Europa League, all out West Ham out in the semi-final but Rangers got to the final. It's a big step forward.
"Celtic have improved a lot under (Ange) Postecoglou. And I'm sure they'll look to improve again because their European record hasn't been great so they'll want to do well in the Champions League."
And, mentioning Hearts, Clarke added: "Now, the players that are going to play in that group stage are going to get, at least, minimum six games.
"They can only improve. If you're playing against good teams, good players, all the time you can only get better so it's great for Scottish football."
