Watch Steve Clarke's Scotland Euro 2024 squad press conference in FULL as 2 uncapped stars land call-ups

It's been a long time coming for the Tartan Army but Steve Clarke has finally announced his provisional 28-man squad for Euro 2024.

Uncapped Scotland duo Ben Doak and Ross McCrorie were both selected while veteran winger James Forrest earned a recall almost three years after his last international appearance. Ryan Jack has been included despite being sidelined by injury since early March while Grant Hanley has also been given a chance to prove his fitness - despite playing just eight minutes for Norwich since March 6.

Meanwhile Clarke has picked his four favoured goalkeepers - Norwich's Angus Gunn, Motherwell's Liam Kelly plus Hearts pair Craig Gordon and Zander Clark - for now at least. But there's no place for strikers Kevin Nisbet and Jacob Brown, with PFA Scotland Player of the Year Lawrence Shankland jumping ahead of them in the pecking order after a sensational 31-goal season with the Jambos.

Those chosen still have a bit of work to do to ensure their place on the plane to Germany, though, as Clarke will trim two players from his squad before he names his final 26-man pool the weekend before the Scots kick off the tournament against hosts Germany in Munich. And they'll likely be given auditions early next month when Scotland play two friendlies against Gibraltar on June 3 and Finland on June 7 before jetting out to their training base camp in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Clarke spoke to the media today at Hampden and Football Scotland has transcribed it all for you to read below. Alternatively, you can watch the entire press conference using our video player above.

Why 28 players?

"The make up of the squad and the number of players - I've probably got half a dozen who are not playing regularly or coming back form injury. So it's just to go a little bit bigger and give us more breathing space. We can take a look at them over our 10 days together in the pre-camp. That was the thinking behind the 28. 26 will go to the Euros and two will miss out. That's unfortunate but such is the life of a head coach, you've got to make those decisions. One or two are on a return to play over the 10 days and two friendlies. So it's just to buy a little time."

What excites you about Ben Doak?

"Ben's obviously got a lot of talent, he catches your eye. The pace is something we haven't got an abundance of in the squad. He's something a little bit different. He's a young man, he's got a lot to learn in the game. I've never had the chance to work closely with Ben, but it just felt like the right opportunity to put him in. The squad going from 23 to 26 just made it something I thought I should do, so we'll have a look at Ben and see how he does."

Ross McCrorie's inclusion

"I lost my two first-choice right backs/right wing-backs in Aaron [Hickey] and Nathan [Patterson]. So looking down Ross had a really difficult time when he first went to Bristol City when he had a serious problem. He got back in the team in the second half of the season, acquitted himself well and got some minutes under his belt. He's another one who has been in squads before but doesn't have a cap. So it's a chance to have a look at Ross as well and see how he's doing."

Recalls for Ryan Jack and James Forrest

"Ryan's been quite an important part of the squad in my time as head coach. He missed the last Euros through injury and he hasn't had the best finish to the season with Rangers, but I know he has been fit for the last two or three weeks and just hasn't been selected at the club, which is unfortunate for Ryan. But I think he deserves to be there. He's a little bit different to the other midfield players I've got.

"James Forrest, where do you start?" If ever there's an example to young players on how to conduct yourself if things are not going well for you at your club, I think James epitomises that. Train well, work well, keep your head down, keep believing and you never know, maybe the head coach will pick you for your country again. And that's what he's done. He's had a fantastic finish to the season. And he obviously brings a bit of experience having been part of the squad for the last Euros. It will be nice to see James again. You are always aware of players but obviously if you are not playing regularly at your club, and it was over a period of time it wasn't just a short term thing, he's worked really hard. He's caught the manager's eye and come in and be another one who grabs your attention with the way he's finished the season. You're looking at him and thinking 'Wow, James is back to where he maybe was three or four years ago' which is a credit to him and something that I didn't think I could overlook and that's why he's in the 28."

Difficulty in picking the squad

"It didn't really go down to the wire. Obviously, with the injuries, there are probably four. Jacob Brown obviously picked up an injury and couldn't make it. Lewis Ferguson would have been part of the squad. So you're losing four players from the front of your mind and you're starting to go into the back of your mind and think: 'Okay, how do you replace them?'. Going from 23 to 26 probably made it more difficult to be honest. You're trying to balance the squad and get the right people. The squad's not just about who plays, it's about who doesn't play. They're just as big a part of the squad moving forward. They control the harmony, if you like. They are the ones who can be four, five, six weeks - hopefully - without many minutes on the pitch. You tell a professional player that you're going to be involved for that length of time and not get many minutes on the pitch can be a big ask for some people. So to get the balance right was quite tricky."

Having to let two players go

"I think more than a third of the squad will be involved in games before we meet up. There's probably five or six players that we've maybe got a little bit of doubt about. Let's see how the pre-camp pans out and we'll take it from there. Ultimately, there's going to be two very difficult conversations. The good thing about it is it won't be a telephone call. It will be a sit-down face-to-face and I'll just have to tell it like it us. But it will be two difficult conversations."

How excited are you?

"You know me, I get over excited, don't I? It's great. I'm really pleased I can sit here this afternoon and put out those names. It makes the tournament feel a little bit more real. Since March it's been a bit of a drag. A lot of bad news, not much good news. The March camp, two defeats. That's still in the back of my mind. I just want to get the boys together again and work towards the friendly matches and into the tournament, which I'm sure will take care of itself."

Comparing this group of players to Euro 2020

"Much more experienced. The group we took to 2020 was maybe a little bit inexperienced, certainly in tournament terms because we don't quality very often. More caps, a better understanding of what to expect, yeah I think more experience and hopefully good enough to create a little bit of history for Scottish football. I think they're capable [of reaching the knockouts]. It's a good group of players. Our aim is to be as competitive as we can be in all the matches. If we play to the best of our abilities then we could be - could be - the first Scottish team to come out the group stages. That would be a magnificent achievement. That'll be the aim."

Message for the Scotland fans

"Just enjoy it, enjoy the occasion and hopefully a really good performance for the Scottish team. Get behind the boys, although I don't need to tell them that because you know they are going to be on your side anyway. It's something to look forward to and hopefully come the end of the summer, we're all still smiling.

Rumours surrounding a shock call-up for Tino Livramento

"Tino's an England Under-21 international. He qualifies for England, Scotland, Portugal. At the moment he's chosen England so that's the way it is."