Steve Clarke sent me one text that says it all about Scotland boss' positive Euro 2024 mentality

The timing is perfect: Pat Nevin has just received a text from Steve Clarke and he doesn’t mind sharing its contents.

There’s nothing that would give the game away or threaten to leave the Scotland manager's face splattered with egg in two weeks’ time. It's understated but quietly confident. Typical Clarke. Nevin was in full flow talking to Record Sport about the wonderful job his old Chelsea team mate and friend has done in transforming the national team. And why he thinks his next trick will be to make history by getting through the groups.

Then the former Scotland winger reaches for his phone. He said: “I sent Steve a message saying we were proud of him getting us to Germany. He just got back to me. Typical dour Clarkey, he just said tough games ahead but I think we can get the results required. “Nothing exciting. There’s no promise there, no saying ‘we’re going to do it’. You don’t get that with Clarkey. It’s a positive message though, you just want to share it. That’s what he is telling everyone. He thinks we can get there but it’s a tough job.”

It’s that quiet resolve which has the nation believing with Clarke. Nevin, who made two appearances the first time Scotland made it to a Euros in 1992, reckons the astute decision making of his old Stamford Bridge mate has taken an excellent group of players onto another level. He said: “I’m delighted for Clarkey. Nobody gets everything right but his hit rate has been pretty good. Look at our numbers in the competitive games - it’s pretty hot.

“His big calls as well. How do you get Kieran Tierney and Robbo in the same team? Nobody suggested what he eventually came up with. But it works with bells on and now looks natural. The Scott McTominay one is a cracker. A Manchester United player who was seen as a water carrier. A deep-lying midfielder.

“Clarkey tried him at centre back, moved him about and then, probably after listening to him say he was always a number 10 or eight coming through the ranks, moves him forward. Now just look at the goals he has come up with. That’s clever. Really, really smart.”

The next big call could be one of Clarke’s defining moments if Scotland can somehow get the Euros campaign off to a flier against the host nation in Munich on Friday evening. Every area is key. But it’s another player with heavy ties to Chelsea who Nevin hopes gets the nod. Billy Gilmour might be at the opposite end of the career spectrum from German legends Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundongan but the former Blues kid is made for the same stage.

Nevin said: “I guess we’ll be playing a 3/4/2/1 against Germany. Callum McGregor has to play. Who is next to him? If you ever want to do well at the top level of European football then you need to hold the ball. Billy Gilmour is the best we’ve got.

“Remember going back to the 0-0 draw with England at Wembley in the last Euros. I was at the side of the pitch thinking ‘that’s world class players you two are up against and you’re completely blowing them away’.

“There’s no reason why they can’t do that again. Billy won’t be fazed. He will keep on doing what he does. He is allergic to giving the ball away.”

Another question facing Clarke: What about right back, with Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson crocked? Could James Forrest fill the void? Nevin said: “One of my favourite things in football is to be proved completely wrong. To be honest I never saw it happening for Jamesy again. Purely because of the injuries. Not because of effort or quality. Then I saw him at the end of the season in Old Firm games and thought ‘ooooh right, here we go, he’s back!’

“Maybe he can do the wing back job? Clarkey has a tough call. I’m sure James will get games out there. If he has to come on he will be fine, he will be a line breaker, a game changer, a creative force. I think he will have a big part to play whether he starts the first game or not.”

Nevin won’t ever forget his experience at the Euros 32 years ago. He firmly believes the modern day Tartan Army was born in Sweden that summer. And he reckons that togetherness is key in Germany. Speaking as Sky Bet announced they will cover the extra baggage costs of footsoldiers’ bagpipes to Germany after a stadium ban on the instruments was lifted, Nevin said: “You always understood what the Tartan Army was but something seemed to really change in 1992.

“At the end of the CIS game, I remember speaking to Gary McAllister and Andy Roxburgh was telling us to go down and celebrate with the fans. We were saying ‘what’s to celebrate, we’re out?’ But Andy told us they’ve come a long way. I’m so glad we went over because it was magical. They sang and sang and sang.

“You hear the pipes everywhere. I can’t wait to hear them in Germany. We are in it together and that’s the big thing. Look at the players we have. Okay we’ve lost one or two through injury but every team loses a few. It’s the art of what’s possible from what you have available.

“I think we can qualify. In fact I’d go further - I know we can which is slightly different from ‘we will’. We might need the odd decision here and there and a couple of things to go in our favour. But are the Swiss or the Hungarians miles better than us? No they are not.

“I think our chances of getting through are way better than 50/50 because of the quality of players we have.”