YEARS WE GO YEARS WE GO YEARS WE GO

Clarke says experience is paying off for Scots as stars pile on caps AND victories

- DAVID MCCARTHY

STREETWISE Scotland are getting more and more comfortable on the international stage as the cap count continues to mount.

And boss Steve Clarke reckons the vast majority of the group he has forged into a club team can stay together for years to come to qualify for the tournaments that have eluded the nation so often.

Scotland are on course for Euro 2024 after a blistering start to the qualifying campaign, which can stretch to 12 points from four games if Georgia are beaten at Hampden.

Saturday's win in Norway was achieved by a starting X1 with more than 350 caps between them and keeper Angus Gunn only has three.

Indeed, Clarke believes the nature of the comeback in Oslo was only made possible by the experience his squad has accumulated over the past few years.

Significant tactical tweaks and substitutions are down to Clarke and his staff but the manager also gives credit to the players who refused to panic when the heat was on.

He said: "One thing I spoke about quite early on in my tenure was getting more caps into them and trying to pick the same or similar core group- and suddenly you're handing out 25-cap medals and 50-cap medals.

UNDA "We now have a group who are experienced at international level. They understand that some games can be tricky, you have to be patient, other games we maybe have to start on the front foot and get yourselves in front, then hang on a little bit.