Steve Clarke welcomes two Scotland additions as former Hearts coach returns and new face joins

Former Hearts head coach Steven Naismith returns to the international fold after a two-year absence, replacing John Carver as Clarke's assistant after the Englishman stood down in the summer to focus on his role as Lechia Gdansk manager.

Naismith previously held a coaching position with Scotland under Clarke between 2019 and 2023 before stepping down in order to become the permanent Hearts boss.

The 38-year-old will be joined on Clarke's support staff by Andrew Hughes, the Leicester City set-piece coach, who will perform the same role for Scotland.

Both coaches will be in place for Scotland’s opening Group C double-header away to Denmark and Belarus on September 5 and 8.

“I am delighted to have Steven and Andrew with us for the World Cup qualifying campaign,” Clarke said. “Steven has been with us before and brings a real complementary skill set to myself and Alan Irvine.

“He has had opportunities to return to full-time club football, so it says a lot for his pride in the national team that he has agreed to join up with us again. I was really impressed by a number of potential candidates we’d spoken to when John left to continue at Lechia Gdansk but the fact we’ve worked together before makes for a seamless transition.

“I am also really pleased to have Andrew with us. He has coached in a variety of roles since retiring from playing but has excelled as set-piece coach at Norwich City and now Leicester City and I am grateful to Marti Cifuentes for allowing Andrew to work with us during the international windows.”

‘No-brainer’ for Naismith

Naismith, who was sacked by Hearts after a poor start to the 2024-25 season, added: “I am really excited to be rejoining the Scotland men’s national team coaching staff under Steve. When I left Hearts, I made a point of not jumping straight back in at the first offer but to reflect on my coaching experiences and wait for something that really excited me.

“When I first spoke to Steve about the possibility of coming back it was a no-brainer: I loved playing for my country, I’ve loved being part of the coaching team previously and I can’t wait to help support the mission to take Scotland to a World Cup again.”

Englishman Hughes, 47, the former midfielder whose playing career included spells at Reading, Norwich and Leeds, has been involved in coaching since 2014 with mainly backroom roles at clubs including Bolton, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich. Scotland have been without a dedicated set piece coach since Austin McPhee stepped down last September.

“From the moment I got the call from Steve I have felt extremely honoured to be invited to work with the Scotland men’s national team," Hughes said.

“My father is Scottish and as well as this being a proud moment for me and my family, it is a hugely exciting time as a coach to be part of a World Cup qualifying campaign, with such a talented squad, following back-to-back Euro qualifications. I can’t wait to get started.”