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Steve Clarke can turn Scotland around, says Kris Boyd

Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke and captain Kris Boyd have both been subjected to alleged sectarian abuse.
Image: Kilmarnock captain Kris Boyd praised his former manager Steve Clarke

Kris Boyd backed his former manager Steve Clarke to transform the Scottish national team, just as he did with Kilmarnock.

Boyd saw first-hand the miraculous effect Clarke had at Rugby Park and believes the former Reading and West Brom boss can repeat the trick with Scotland.

After turning Killie from relegation strugglers to getting their highest league finish in more than 50 years and attaining European football on the last day of the season, Boyd believes he has the credentials to end Scotland's long wait for major tournament football.

He said: "The turnaround at Kilmarnock was unbelievable. Given the right time and the right opportunity to work with players, he can turn things around - he's shown that here.

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Clarke says he is humbled and honoured to be named Scotland head coach

"Given the right resources and time, he can do it if they let him do his job properly. Scotland's lack of goals, their lack of clean sheets - he will change that.

"He knows how tough the job will be, but you can only see the transformation he's had here, and I'm sure he's the man to lead Scotland back to a major competition.

"You've seen the difference in us at Kilmarnock, we're now very hard to beat, and Scotland need to do that on the international stage."

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Scottish Premiership manager of the season Clarke must prepare the team for key European Championship qualifiers against Cyprus and Belgium next month.

Steve Clarke after being appointed manager of the Scottish national team
Image: Steve Clarke faces a tough task to galvanise the Scottish national side

After a damaging 3-0 defeat away to Kazakhstan in March which led to the exit of his predecessor Alex McLeish, Scotland lie second-bottom of Group I, but Boyd thinks they can only improve.

He added: "He's coming into a similar situation he had at Kilmarnock, in that it's doom and gloom, it can only go up.

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Sunderland boss Jack Ross says Steve Clarke's appointment as Scotland manager is 'terrific'.

"The performances haven't been great, but one thing he can do is get a team organised and hard to beat.

"He's not really one for dwelling on the past, he'll look to the future and that's what we need to do as a nation."

The veteran striker, 35, reflected that on the East Ayrshire side will need to learn to live without the former Chelsea defender.

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Craig Beattie says the SFA 'nailed it' in appointing Clarke as the new Scotland manager

"It's very hard to replicate what Steve did, but there needs to be a realisation of where the club is," Boyd said.

"It just shows you if you get a team together and perform consistently, anything can be achieved.

"There's a big rebuilding process which needs to be done now, so it's important whoever comes in is given the right opportunity and can build on what Steve's done here."

Watch Scotland vs Cyprus and Scotland vs Belgium live on Sky Sports Main Event from 7:45pm on June 8 and 12.

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