Scotland Men's Football Team

Image source, PA Media

Captain Andy Robertson says he and the Scotland players are like children on Christmas Eve as they prepare to end their nation's 28-year wait to return to a men's World Cup finals.

Steve Clarke's side face Haiti in their Group C opener at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Saturday.

"We're on the eve of it and in the team hotel it feels like Christmas Eve when you're a little kid," Tottenham Hotspur left-back Robertson told BBC Sport. "It's an incredible stadium, an incredible thing to be part of.

"I'm just so proud of everyone, all 26 who are going to be able to participate. We've been through so much in our lives and careers to be able to be here at this point and we're now right on the edge of it."

Scotland secured their place at the finals with a stunning 4-2 win at home to Denmark in November.

"It just feels so special and it feels the Denmark game was an age ago and we've waited so long for it and tomorrow's so close," Robertson said.

"All the preparation's done and we're ready to go."

Scotland have already beaten Bolivia 4-0 in a friendly on their arrival in the United States.

"It's been excellent so far and credit to the backroom staff as well," Robertson said. "They have ticked every single box for us in terms of getting used to the heat, the humidity and all that goes along with it, the time difference and things like that.

"So they've done all they can. It's up to us to do all we can. We've been to the last two Euros and it's not worked out the way we've wanted it to go and it's up to us to go and put that right.

"It's going to be incredibly difficult. The teams we are playing against are really good teams.

"It's not easy to get to a World Cup. We've seen that. We've felt the 28-year pain of trying to do it, but we need to show up on the biggest stage and we've done that on many occasions in qualifying campaigns and now we have to do it in the tournament.

"We've done it against Switzerland and England in the Euros, but now we have to do more."

Jonathan McKeith
BBC Sport

Image source, SNS

Former Scotland striker Chris Iwelumo thinks it will be "a massive step forward" should Che Adams become the first black player to play for the nation's men's team at a World Cup.

Iwelumo was himself a standard bearer when he earned four caps more than 15 years ago, but he never made it to a major finals.

The 47-year-old recalls how he was the only black child at his school in Coatbridge and that, while a proud Scot, he would "find yourself liking other countries because you could relate, you could see that similarity".

"I think it's a massive step forward, but the country is a very, a very different landscape to what it was when we were growing up," Iwelumo said of Adams' success for Scotland and Torino.

"He's a fantastic character, excellent football player, deserves to be there exactly where he is, but he is representing and I think that's the way that we have to look at it. Albeit he won't really think of it like that, he is leading the way.

"There are going to be young players coming through that are going to be representing. I don't think colour comes into it, you have to be good enough, but I want them to be given the opportunity.

"I've got to say, I think I'm happy with the quality of players coming through. I'm excited about the future. I know it's small steps, but we are heading in the right direction."

As for the possibility of Adams scoring in Saturday's World Cup group opener against Haiti, the former St Mirren, Stoke City, Colchester United, Charlton Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and Watford added: "I think Che will get that goal and that will go down in history.

"I'm getting hairs standing on end just thinking about it."

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland at Boston Stadium

Image source, PA

A relaxed Steve Clarke and a fired-up Andy Robertson spoke to the media at Boston Stadium on the eve of Scotland's World Cup opener against Haiti.

Here's the best of it...

• Scott McTominay is "perfect. Ready to go" after missing training on Thursday with a stomach bug. However, defender Scott McKenna will miss out with a calf problem.

• The Scotland boss says he is yet to select his team and the squad do not know who is playing.

• Key learning from previous Euros includes "don't get humped" after Germany thumped Scotland 5-1 in the opener two years ago.

• Clarke says the team "want to do something special" at the World Cup after a 28-year absence for the country.

• Robertson said this is "right at the top" of his career achievements as he prepares to captain Scotland at the World Cup.

• He joked McTominay "just wanted a bit of attention" before praising his adaptability for his country.

• Robertson stresses the squad want no "regrets" at the tournament.

• The new Tottenham man also said it was a priority for him to have his future decided before the World Cup after leaving Liverpool, but insisted he is fully focused on Scotland.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton have announced that Scotland striker Ross Stewart is one of seven players to exit the club after their controversial failure to win promotion to the Premier League.

They say in a website statement "an option to extend the Scotsman's contract was not agreed".

Southampton owner Dragan Solak told the Daily Echo a week ago that their expulsion from the promotion play-offs for spying on opponents meant they missed the expiry date of the 29-year-old's contract extension clause.

Solak was quoted as saying Stewart's "lawyers say that they're disagreeing with us" after Saints tried to trigger the clause and it was then up to "Ross and his team to basically decide whether they want to stay or not".

He argued that "nobody would be better for Ross than us" and pointed out they had "worked hard" to get the striker fit in time to be selected for the World Cup after his latest injury absence.

"He went from a guy who didn't play for two years to be invited to the World Cup team," Solak said.

Stewart progressed up the ladder from the West of Scotland League with Ardeer Thistle and Kilwinning Rangers to Albion Rovers, St Mirren, Ross County and Sunderland before his switch to Southampton in 2023.

He played 50 times for Saints, scoring 12 times, 11 of them this season in 33 appearances as his side finished fourth in the Championship and beat Middlesbrough in the play-off semi-final before being expelled from the final over "Spygate".

Stewart earned his third Scotland cap as a substitute in their 4-0 victory over Bolivia at the weekend as Steve Clarke's side prepare to begin their World Cup campaign against Haiti on Saturday.

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston

Image source, BBC Sport

So, it's a bit of a cliche, but it had to be done.

Boston's famous for many things - one of them being it's absolutely roasting, which I'm finding out to my cost - with the biggest potentially being the bar Cheers, famous from the TV show... erm... Cheers.

After eventually shutting the laptop on Thursday, I ventured out to find the local spot for Norm, Cliff and the gang (ask your parents, kids).

Instead I found two dozen Scottish people chanting along to Bits & Pieces. And a bloke carrying a set of bagpipes.

The one you notice here is everyone is Scottish... even when they're not.

Scotland's reach is huge, but so many locals we speak to talk about aunts, distant cousins, a Braveheart VHS tape in the cupboard which means they claim to be Scottish.

To be fair, I'm sure we'd take all the support we can get. One more sleep.