Steve Clarke

Steve Clarke is the head coach of Scotland at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the country's first appearance at the tournament since 1998. Born in Saltcoats on 29 August 1963, he was a clever, modern right-back for St Mirren and then for Chelsea between 1987 and 1998, where he won the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup and earned six Scotland caps.

Clarke spent more than a decade as one of Britain's most respected assistants — to José Mourinho at Chelsea, to Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool, to Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, and later to Steve McClaren — before stepping into management with West Bromwich Albion in 2012. After short spells at West Brom and Reading, he transformed Kilmarnock between 2017 and 2019 from relegation candidates into the third-best team in Scotland, winning the PFA Scotland and SFWA Manager of the Year awards.

The Scottish FA appointed him head coach on 20 May 2019. He led Scotland to Euro 2020 — their first major tournament for 23 years — then to Euro 2024 and now to the 2026 World Cup, ending a 28-year wait. Scotland are in Group C with hosts Mexico, South Korea and South Africa. Clarke, working with the McTominay/Tierney/Robertson core, has a chance to give Scottish football its most memorable summer in a generation.