Scotland manager Steve Clarke has admitted that he can’t wait to take charge of the national team at a packed Hampden this weekend against Israel – and he called on the Tartan Army to help make it a long night for the Israelis in the crunch World Cup qualifier.
Clarke during the recent win over Moldova. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Clarke’s side sit one point ahead of this weekend’s visitors with four games left in the race for a playoff spot and Hampden will be packed to the rafters for the first time since a qualifier against Slovakia in 2017 – although Clarke was due to take charge of the side in front of a packed Hampden in a Nations League playoff against Israel before Covid-19 caused the world to shutdown in March 2020.
The Scotland boss wants the fans to have the national stadium rocking and hopes his players can get on the front foot early on and take a massive three points,
“I can’t wait,” Clarke said [Sky]. “Obviously, I’ve been head coach for a couple of years – over two years – and we’ve never played in front of a full house at Hampden so I can’t wait.
“Hopefully, it will give the players that extra impetus. It’s been a while since we had a full house at Hampden to watch a qualifying game so I think that shows that the public are buying into what this team are trying to do.
“The players are going to embrace that too and take it all on board. We all know what it can be like at Hampden. If you get that place rocking and we get onto the front foot early and get the crowd behind us then, hopefully, it’ll make it a long night for Israel.
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