While on the brink of making his own history as Scotland head coach, Steve Clarke was taken down a bizarre route talking about global pop star Katy Perry.
Against Greece in the nation’s crucial World Cup qualifier on Thursday, he will take the side for a record-equalling 71st time as they seek to move closer to ending a 27-year wait to reach a World Cup.
But while fielding questions about all of that in his media conference, the left-field subject of the California Gurls singer somehow cropped up.
The UK leg of Perry’s world tour kicked off in Glasgow on Tuesday and it turns out the American singer found herself staying in the national team hotel. Not that he would recognise her even if he saw her.
“I’ve heard the name,” the 62-year-old said.
“I’m sure if you played a couple of her songs, I’d say ‘oh I recognise that one’, but I couldn’t name you one song.
“No disrespect to Katy, but I’m from a different generation.”
Suspending obvious Perry puns of Hampden Roars, Fireworks and Scotland blowing Hot ‘n’ Cold, Clarke’s focus is arrowed in on rinsing one more achievement out of his tenure as boss.
The 62-year-old has led the Scots to back-to-back European Championships, but a World Cup appearance is the one achievement that has eluded them during his six-and-a-half year spell.
Scotland made a fine start to the campaign last month with four points from two away games against Denmark and Belarus, and he wants to “cement that” with two wins this week.
The head coach, who was asked to reflect on the milestone of games managed – which will be met and then surpassed against Belarus live on the BBC – said: “I haven’t thought about it.
“I don’t think I’ve finished yet, let me finish and then I’ll tell you exactly how I feel about it.
“We’ve given ourselves a great platform over the two away games.
“We want to cement that by winning the two home games. Picking up as many points as we can this month would put us in a good place to go into November.”
