National team manager reacts as team shares hotel with international music superstar | OneFootball

Global superstar Katy Perry is staying at the same hotel at the Scotland national team – not that manager Steve Clarke is impressed.

His Scotland side are sharing the same Glasgow city centre hotel with the global superstar.

The Scots are preparing for their 2026 World Cup qualifying double-header against Denmark on Thursday and Belarus on Sunday, with both games taking place at the national stadium, Hampden Park.

Perry, meanwhile, kicked off the UK leg of her world tour in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Clarke, however, was nonplussed when told of the coincidence.

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Scotland are preparing for their 2026 World Cup qualifying double-header against Denmark and Belarus (Rafal Oleksiewicz/PA)

“I didn’t know she was there,” he said.

“I’ve heard the name. 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, I’m sorry.

“That’s no disrespect to Katy, but I’m from a different generation.”

Clarke is set to break Craig Brown’s Scotland record in the 2026 World Cup qualifying double-header against Greece and Belarus.

Brown, who died in June 2023 aged 82, managed the national side 71 times from 1993 to 2001 and qualified the country for Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup finals.

Clarke, 62, has been in the dugout 70 times since taking over in 2019 and has led the Scots to the last two European Championships but is looking to take them to a first World Cup finals since Brown’s side went to France.

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Scotland manager Steve Clarke (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Clarke played down the record, however.

“I haven’t thought about it, I’ve got to be honest,” said the former West Brom, Reading and Kilmarnock boss.

“Milestones and career marks, I’ve had a half-decent career as a player, a half-decent career up until now as a manager or head coach.

“I don’t think I’m finished yet, so let me finish it and look back at it and I’ll tell you exactly how I feel about it.

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“But I’ve enjoyed it. Obviously when you take the job you don’t think it’s going to be six-and-a-bit years with as many games under your belt.

“But I’ve been lucky enough to work with a really good consistent group of players who have done so well for me, all my coaches have helped me to get to this stage.

“It’s really nice, but at the moment my focus is only on qualifying for the World Cup next year.”