Scotland: Is Steve Clarke now the country’s greatest-ever manager?

You can say that again, Steve.

The way the night was billed, it was always going to be one for the ages. Thankfully, it can be filed in the right side of Scotland’s storied history.

Glorious failure is something that has long been woven into the rich tapestry of this country’s footballing past. There were times at Hampden on Tuesday when it looked like there would be another example.

As captain Andy Robertson conceded post-match, Scott McTominay’s out-of-this-world opener – “the best overhead kick I’ve ever seen”, Clarke said – could have done with coming “about 80 minutes later”.

However, as Scotland’s players fought back to take the lead for a second, and then third, time, the Hampden crowd carried their heroes when they needed them most.

“Right in the last part of the game, the crowd was still with us,” Clarke said. “Everybody was in the stadium, nobody left because they could smell magic.

“I’ve said it for a long time now, how good the players are and how determined they are to be good for their country. They showed that tonight. I couldn’t be happier.”

It’s a credit to Clarke and his staff that they have gathered a core group of reliable, ready and willing players. Something some of his predecessors failed to do.

He is now the man who has led Scotland more than anyone else – 74 times and counting. He is also set to be the first man to oversee the country at a third major tournament. And the man who picked up a squad who were scudded by Kazakhstan and qualified them for a World Cup.

At the beginning of this week, when Scotland were taking their time to prepare for this gargantuan double-header, Clarke said his players were presented with “a chance to become instantly written into the history books of Scotland”.

They have done just that. And he has too.