Whatever happened to the Scotland head coach who was castigated for his conservative approach and his loyalty to familiar faces?
By calling up 19-year-old Tyler Fletcher to his World Cup squad as a late replacement for the injured Billy Gilmour, Steve Clarke appears to have acquired a sense of adventure.
It would have been the easiest thing in the world to pull in Lennon Miller, who plays regularly for Udinese, has four caps under his belt and, more importantly, was on the standby list.
After all, Fletcher was only with Scotland because he had been invited along to boost numbers during last week’s training for the send-off match against Curacao yesterday.
But the young Manchester United midfielder, who had played just 17 minutes of senior football, made his international debut in the 4-1 victory at Hampden and, by today, was on the flight to Florida.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke is more invested than ever in the future of the national team
Tyler Fletcher has been called into Scotland’s squad for the forthcoming World Cup finals
Findlay Curtis scores an equaliser for Scotland in the 4-1 win against Curacao at Hampden Park
While it has been an incredible few days for Fletcher, son of former Scotland captain Darren, so too has it been a great leap forward, at least potentially, in the career of the national manager.
The bold decision to call up Fletcher follows the refreshing inclusion of Findlay Curtis in his original squad, a move that was rewarded with a goal for the young Rangers winger against Curacao.
And, for all the chat about Oli McBurnie’s continued exclusion, the return of prolific Sunderland striker Ross Stewart after a four-year absence is not the work of a manager set in his ways.
It is surely no coincidence that the change of emphasis comes at a time when Clarke has agreed a new four-year contract that will keep him in the Scotland job till 2030.
The Scottish FA has been criticised in some quarters for offering him a new deal ahead of this summer’s finals, but the result is a manager who appears to be more invested than ever in the country’s future.
