Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has agreed a new long-term contract, keeping him tied to the national team until 2026.
On Saturday, the Tartan Army begin their quest to qualify for Euro 2024 with a home qualifying fixture against Cyprus.
However, a day before that clash at Hampden Park, the Scottish Football Association has moved to announce that Clarke has committed his immediate future to the role.
Since taking on the position in May 2019, Clarke has been an overwhelming success, recording 19 wins and 10 draws from his 41 matches in charge.
Although the disappointment of missing out on the 2022 World Cup through the playoffs remains fresh in the memory, Clarke ended a 23-year absence from major tournaments when Scotland qualified for Euro 2020, which was staged in 2021.
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Furthermore, Scotland have bounced back from losing to Ukraine in the World Cup playoff semi-finals by winning their UEFA Nations League group, ironically edging out Ukraine.
Not only will Scotland play in the top tier of that competition during the next edition, they have guaranteed themselves a spot in the Euro 2024 qualification playoffs should they failed to finish in the first two positions in a group which also features Spain, Norway and Georgia.
Speaking on the development, the 59-year-old said: "I am proud that my coaching team and I will continue to lead the team through the next two qualifying campaigns, as well as Nations League Group A, but being able to do so is a testament to the squad of players who have been central to our improvement.
"The immediate focus is ensuring a positive start to our EUROS campaign against Cyprus, who were the opposition for my first match in charge in 2019.
"When we named our squad for the double-header, I spoke with my coaches about how the quality and depth of the squad has evolved in those four years. We now have an experienced core who have been constants throughout, but we have also added quality and competition in every area of the team."
Scotland play host to Cyprus having won their last three matches at Hampden Park, scoring seven goals in the process versus Armenia, Ukraine and Republic of Ireland.
Darren Plant
