Steve Clarke drops clear hint amid Celtic links as he speaks out on Scotland future

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(Credit: Getty, Imago) Wed 1 April 2026 19:00, UK Steve Clarke appears ready to leave his post as Scotland’s manager amid links with the top job at Celtic for next season. The veteran boss has remained tight-lipped about his future with the national team until Tuesday night, when he hit out after his team’s 1-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast.

VISIT THE MANAGER HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Steve Clarke ready for new challenge amid Celtic interestFootball Insider revealed at the end of January that Celtic are considering Clarke among a number of candidates who could potentially take charge of the team next term, with Martin O’Neill’s latest interim stint ending upon the conclusion of this campaign. GamesWDLWin %5730171052.63%Clarke’s managerial record in the Scottish Premiership, as per Transfermarkt.Clarke has clearly grown tired of talking about his future, given that he responded sharply to a question surrounding it on Tuesday night.

Clarke likely didn’t mean it literally that he is not bothered about whether or not he continues to manage the national team, but it could certainly be taken as a hint that he is ready for a new challenge. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 "If it doesn't happen, I'm not bothered…"Steve Clarke is not focused on sorting out his future as Scotland boss before the World Cup ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/B4tvJywFRp— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) March 31, 2026 View Tweet Celtic’s interest could provide him with the perfect chance to step away, and Clarke has already made it clear that the idea of a new assignment would potentially appeal to him. Roberto Martinez is also being linked with the soon-to-be vacant position, but Clarke has no reason to believe that he cannot compete for the role with managers of that calibre.The work that he did to lead Kilmarnock to a third-place finish back in 2018-19 was arguably one of the most impressive feats achieved in the Premiership in recent years, and shows that he still has a strong grasp on how to achieve domestic success.With that in mind, Clarke has every right to be among the leading candidates to take charge of the Bhoys for the coming years, and it would be an exciting appointment if the board chose to hand him the keys.