The Scottish Football Association (SFA) announced that Steve Clarke has signed a new contract to lead Scotland through to the men’s 2030 FIFA World Cup.
“Scotland’s most successful Head Coach of all-time will remain in charge beyond this summer’s World Cup in the USA and continue his legacy until FIFA’s centenary edition in four years’ time,” said the Scottish FA.
“The agreement will also encompass the UK & Ireland co-hosted UEFA EURO 2028 campaign.”
Clarke said: “I am truly honoured to lead my squad into our first men’s World Cup in 28 years and I’m proud to continue as Head Coach.
“I know the Scotland supporters appreciate the achievements of this group in qualifying for back-to-back EUROs and equally sure the whole nation rejoiced in our qualification for World Cup 2026 after such a long time.
“It’s very important to look ahead and plan for the future and, while my squad will be doing everything in their power to compete and make the country proud in the America this summer, it also gives us certainty ahead of the tournament knowing that we can look to build on those foundations for the long-term and it is a privilege to continue in this role.
“Stability is the key to success in football and this has certainly been the case during my last seven years as Head Coach. It’s important we evolve and make improvements and I look forward to working with the new Chief Football Officer, Craig Mulholland, to increase the pipeline of talent to the senior squad through the national youth teams.
“For now, it’s all about preparing for the World Cup, starting against Curaçao this weekend.”
Scottish FA CEO Ian Maxwell: “On behalf of the board I am delighted that we have agreed with Steve to continue as men’s Head Coach. His record speaks for itself: three finals tournament qualifications out of four, including consecutive EUROs finals and, of course, an imminent World Cup return after nearly three decades.
“Beyond that, he has built a squad that the nation has taken to its heart, making Barclays Hampden a fortress once again. During our discussions about the future we were all agreed that we cannot rest on our achievements or ever take qualification for granted.
“The passion and enthusiasm with which he discussed that road map emphasises that this will not simply be a continuation but a renewed purpose and focus over the next four years.”
The Scottish FA has also confirmed the appointment of Craig Mulholland as “Chief Football Officer.”
Responsible for “shaping and delivering the vision for football development and performance across Scotland” as a member of the SFA Senior Executive Team, the Chief Football Officer will “lead strategies that elevate elite performance, strengthen grassroots participation and ensure Scotland’s football ecosystem thrives at every level.”
Mulholland follows in the footsteps of Andy Gould, who recently took up a new position with FIFA after more than 30 years with the association.
Mulholland moves back to Scotland after serving as Head of Football Development & Talent Management at Nottingham Forest.
“Craig’s role involved leading on strategy on both the men’s and women’s side, driving performance and organisational alignment, and he was responsible for all talent pathways, at a time when the club achieved their highest ever English Premier League finish and reached the semi-final of a European competition for the first time in over 40 years on the men’s side, while securing promotion to the WSL2 for the first time with the women’s team,” said the SFA.
“This is Craig’s second spell with the Scottish FA, having started out as a Football Development Officer, progressing to Senior Youth Development Officer, more than 20 years ago.
“From there, he moved to Rangers, spending the last nine years of his career there as Academy Director, heading up a system that produced current Scotland internationals like Billy Gilmour, Liam Kelly and Nathan Patterson.”
Maxwell said: “We’re delighted to have Craig on board. He was the outstanding candidate from a thorough process.
“This is a critical role within the Scottish FA – and Scottish football in general – so we wanted to make sure that we took our time to find the right individual who can help drive improvements across the board.
“Craig comes highly recommended to us from his position as Head of Football Development & Talent Management at Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League, but we’re equally enthused by his varied experiences in Scottish football.”
Mulholland said: “I am delighted to be joining the Scottish FA at a critical time for the game in our country, which I care passionately about.
“We have the World Cup to look forward to, and that excitement brings the ideal opportunity to implement positive change throughout all areas of our game, building on the many strengths we have as a nation.
“I have loved my time working in the Premier League, where every day you are exposed to the world’s best players and coaches, but when I heard the desire and willingness from Mike, as President, and Ian, as CEO, to really implement an exciting period of growth and change here in Scotland, it was something I was excited about, delighted to accept, and privileged to be asked to lead.
“I wish Steve and Melissa good luck for the upcoming internationals and I look forward to working with them, and all of the team at the Scottish FA, to build an exciting future with an innovative and creative approach to how we move forward at all levels of the game”