Steve Clarke texted me these two words straight after his Scotland exit – I was taken aback

Pat Nevin knows Steve Clarke well and was taken aback by the news he’d left so soon after the World Cup

We’ve not heard much from Steve Clarke since his emotional Scotland exit address – but the former boss texted pal Pat Nevin to tell him it just ‘felt right’.

Clarke walked away after a disappointing World Cup and it came as a surprise to many, the announcement dropping just weeks after he’d signed a lucrative four-year deal to take him through to the 2030 tournament.

He leaves as one of Scotland’s greatest ever managers, turning us back into tournament regulars after decades in the wilderness. But after failing to make it through three separate group stages, Clarke felt it was time to give someone else a crack at it.

The 62-year-old said the plan was always to walk away if we didn’t make it through in the US – and the decision to sign the deal in the first place was just to give the players some comfort.

That didn’t stop Nevin’s jaw dropping when the news landed.

Nevin, who played with Clarke for Chelsea and Scotland, was one of the first people to hear from him soon after his exit.

And he told Betano Online Casino: “I’m surprised Steve Clarke signed a new contract in the first place, but I understand why the SFA wanted him.

“He guaranteed Scotland getting to major tournaments. I was just taken aback that he left so quickly.

“I’m meeting him in a couple of weeks so I’ll speak to him in person, but he texted me and said it ‘felt right.’ A cynic might say that the top players are getting old and the next manager has a hell of a rebuild on their hands. If they’d managed that one more point, they’d have been fine in the US.

“Knowing him and the reaction from Scotland fans, I’m not surprised he’s moved on. Scotland have reached three of the last four tournaments after a long drought.

“We were beaten by the fifth and sixth best teams in the world, but we weren’t good enough in the end.

“Am I surprised? In time, no, I’m not. Knowing him and knowing what happened at the tournament, and the reaction from Scotland fans, no, I’m not surprised.

“Why would you hang around? In the end, Scotland have now got to three out of the last four tournaments when they hadn’t got to anything for so long.”

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