I'LL GET MY GOAT

Clarke revels in tasty draw as his troops relish A-team role

- KEITH JACKSON

STEVE CLARKE walked into a conference centre on the left bank of Paris yesterday to claim his seat at the top table of European football.

He left an hour or so later having been invited to a night at the museum. Group A. League One.

A potential six-game showdown with three of the greatest names in the game Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Robert Lewandowski.

Not so much GOATS these days. But most certainly the silver foxes of the international stage.

And Clarke is hoping that all three of them hang on in there for long enough to take a bow at Hampden at the end of this year, when his side will get down to the business of trying to cement their own place among the big boys.

Because this is precisely where he wants his players to feel as if they belong.

Clarke is already planning ahead for another summer at the Euros.

But from the moment the adventure in Germany is over, he'll have Croatia, Portugal and Poland on his mind after yesterday evening's draw at the Maison de la Mutualities, a grand old building in the Latin quarter of the French capital.

Clarke even had to walk past Gareth Southgate on his way to the place where the really big hitters faced the media after the balls had been plucked from their respective pots.

While England are now looking up from the B League, Clarke has Scotland precisely where he wants them to be. And more importantly, to stay.

He almost broke into a smile as he said: "It was nice.

"It was nice to wait until the last part of the draw to be involved.

"It's always nice to be successful.

"It's nice to feel good about yourselves. At this moment in time the national team can feel good about themselves.