Steve Clarke described as ‘sir’ after ‘best night in the history of Scottish football’

He added: “The 90 minutes of football was amazing, but when you add the added context of not qualifying for the finals since 1998 and the disappointment everyone felt on Saturday when we lost in Athens.”

He added: “To be able to have a real chance and watch the game unfold the way it did, it was an absolutely fantastic night and, for me, has to be the best night in the history of Scottish football.”

This was Clarke’s third qualification to a major finals since taking over as coach of the national team in 2019.

“Steve has been amazing – the greatest manager we’ve ever had,” Maxwell suggested. “Three championships out of four is just an amazing comeback and I’m so happy for him.”

He insisted the SFA never hesitated to back Clarke, even after Scotland finished bottom of their group with one point at Euro 2024.

“Not a lot of people want him to be the manager anymore and it’s great to see nights like this because it validates that decision and makes you, I think, proud of the decision to keep him on because he was a big part of us getting to the World Cup,” Maxwell said.

“He’s been amazing. When we hired him six years ago, if anyone had said this was what the next six years would look like, we would have all bitten by that.”

Clarke’s contract expires at the end of next summer’s World Cup campaign, and after previously saying he was 75% sure he would leave at the end of his current contract, the 62-year-old admitted after the match on Tuesday that “the door is always open” for an extension.

It seems likely that the decision will come after playing in the Americas.

“That’s a conversation for another day,” Maxwell said. “It’s just about enjoying the moment, enjoying qualifying and preparing for what will be an unforgettable summer.

“Let’s prepare as best we can, see how we progress in the tournament and take it from there.”

The Scottish FA are also expected to receive a significant cash bonus as a reward for qualifying, and Maxwell believes it could be a turning point for Scottish football in terms of boosting the national game.

However, he added: “I didn’t spend any time thinking about finances, I really didn’t.

“You’re always wary of looking too far into it in case you start to jinx it, but as an association, we’ve made no secret that facilities are a real priority for us.”