LONDON - Steve Clarke has announced he is stepping down as Scotland coach after his team's failure to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup.

Clarke made his decision to end his seven-year spell despite signing a new four-year contract around a month ago.

Scotland opened its World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over Haiti followed by a 1-0 loss to Morocco and a 3-0 defeat to Brazil, finishing third in Group C with three points while failing to become one of the eight best third-placed teams.

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"The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn't have had any of the memories that we've accumulated from 2019 until now," said Clarke.

"They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive and it was truly an honor to be called their gaffer (boss)."

"Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor," he added.

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The 62-year-old former full-back became Scotland coach in May 2019. He led the team to the UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024 as well as this World Cup.

"While we are all disappointed to have exited the World Cup at the group stage, we must not lose sight of the undeniable progress made during Steve's seven years in charge," commented Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell.