Jens Berthel Askou unsurprised no Motherwell players made Scotland squad

Motherwell defenders Paul McGinn and Stephen O’Donnell have won Scotland caps under Clarke while team-mates Stephen Welsh, on loan from Celtic, and Elliot Watt were part of the country’s under-21 squad earlier in their careers.

And Askou commented: “I do hope that all our players get to live that dream, that I was nowhere near when I was playing back in the day because I imagine that it is something very, very special to go and represent your country – and especially at the big tournaments.

“It’s not something that we have made a theme with, not in the office at all and not with the players. They’ve probably been discussing it inside the dressing room, back and forward. Some of them might have hoped, because they’ve had a good season, but it’s not something that has been a topic in our club.

“Whether they can play games and perform at a high level in general, yes, I have seen that. I’ve seen more than enough to trust that they can play against really good opponents.”