'Bye-bye, Scotland!' - Clarke's leaving letter to the Tartan Army

Steve Clarke's tenure as Scotland head coach came to an abrupt and shock end on Saturday night in Charlotte.

Following seven years as boss, where he led the country to back-to-back European Championships and the ongoing World Cup - the first for the men's team in 28 years - the 62-year-old has resigned while still at the squad's base camp in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Clarke penned an emotional letter to the Tartan Army on his exit, here it is in full.

When I was first approached by the Scottish FA about the position of head coach, I was advised by many people to leave well alone as the job had become a poisoned chalice.

In my head I was just the wee boy from Saltcoats who had done well in his chosen profession and my country wanted me to be their leader, at least in a football sense.

I couldn't find a reason to turn the approach down. My job remit was simple: qualify for a major tournament.

As I reflect on my seven years in the job, my overriding emotion is pride, closely followed by satisfaction. To the the first coach since Craig Brown, in 1998, to lead the country to the finals of a major tournament was the stuff of dreams.

That night in Belgrade - with no supporters in the stadium due to Covid - was an experience of pure, raw emotion from start to finish. It gave the nation some welcome cheer from the restrictions of the pandemic.

Although the tournament was, for us at least, a bit of a damp squib, there was an unforgettable night at Wembley when we more than matched the eventual beaten finalists England and held them to a 0-0 win!

The biggest disappointment of that tournament was the absence of the Tartan Army in their tens of thousands.

Roll on three years and we did it again, this time overseas in a great footballing country, Germany. With no Covid restrictions this time the Tartan Army made sure they were there in even greater numbers than ever before - after all, it was a 26-year wait for the older members of the battalion.

Again we came up short in the matches but a marker had been set and a new generation of Scotland supporters took my squad to their hearts. Qualify - and they will come in their thousands.

While emotions are raw following our elimination, I genuinely believe that if we continue to qualify regularly for these tournaments we will inevitably break the glass ceiling of reaching the knockout phase.

Winning our group from a position as third seeds is a truly remarkable achievement from a remarkable bunch of players that I have been lucky enough to lead. The campaign was difficult against quality opposition but time and time again we found a way to get the required points culminating in the most incredibly Scotland game ever seen at Hampden Park in a 4-2 win versus Denmark.

In time I will be able to reflect on a tumultuous seven years but one element that has given me the greatest satisfaction is witnessing the reconnection of our national team and our fans.

From my opening game against Cyprus in front a half-empty Hampden Park - and a largely apathetic crowd - to the frenzy of such unforgettable matches as out 2-0 defeat to Spain and that memorable night against Denmark.

There were magical ocassions; night that will endure in Scottish football folklore. This reconnection was never more evident than during the past few weeks.

From Miami to Boston and New Jersey our fans won the hearts and minds of the American public and football fans across the world.

Let us not forget that the players won a World Cup finals match for only the fifth time in Scottish football history, and the first in 36 years. The team were responsible for giving everyone the chance to create memories that will last a lifetime and I am proud to have played a part in that.

As I conclude my reflection on a wonderful seven years I really need to thank my ever-changing coaching staff who have all helped me immensely: Alex Dyer, Steven Reid and Stevie Woods initially; followed by John Carver, Steven Naismith and Chris Woods as the key men by my side.

Austin MacPhee and James Morrison joined us to help the push to Euro 2024, then Alan Irvine, who brought great experience to out group, and Andrew Hughes joined the team to help clinch our World Cup 2026 qualification.

All good coaches but even better people.

The auxiliary staff [too many to mention but they know who they are] who did the match analysis, medical, sports science, kit, logistics and media.

When I started the Head of Performance, Graeme Jones, was my go-to with any problem or issue and we worked well together in implementing our off-field progress with facilities and structure.

When Graeme departed for pastures new, Mark Leslie stepped-up seamlessly to continue that push for higher standards off the pitch, reflected in our preparation for World Cup 2026.

Thank you to both my administrative support staff for looking after me so attentively: firstly Frank Reilly who, after a long wait, represented his country when we qualified for Euro 2020 before retiring a happy man. Ashley Phillip replaced Frank and continued to support me on top of her other duties with the Scottish FA.

Thank you to my two Presidents, the sadly departed Rod Petrie, and Mike Mulraney both of whom supported me in their own particular way. Two good men with the best interests of Scottish football at heart.

Thanks also to Chief Executive Ian Maxwell for putting his head on the chopping block and making me his first head coach appointment and to the board who always listened to me when I made my requests for help in trying to improve facilities and matter concerning the team and players.

The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players without whom we wouldn't have had any of the memories that we've accumulated from 2019 until now. From our captain Andy Roebrtson with 97 caps to those at the start of their journey with the national team, almost every player that has been called upon in my time as head coach has turned up and given everything for their country, hence a period of sustained improvement for our national team.

I quite quickly realised that continuity and familiarity would help these players to bond with each other and my staff, leading them to understand what is needed to be more successful at international level.

They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive and it was truly an honour to be call their gaffer.

Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor.

Bye-Bye, Scotland!

Steve Clarke!