Shelley Kerr named 27-player squad because of Covid protocols; Scotland welcome back experience of Kim Little, Lisa Evans, Jenni Beattie, Chloe Arthur and Fiona Brown; Scotland play Portugal and Finland in European Championship qualifiers on November 27 and December 1
Monday 16 November 2020 14:55, UK
Shelley Kerr has revealed Steve Clarke has regularly offered words of support and is "in constant communication" with her as Scotland Women head coach.
Kerr heaped praise on the Scotland men's team's achievement of qualifying for their first major tournament in 22 years and is hoping her side can emulate the "euphoria" generated by their male counterparts when her players face their own European Championship qualifiers against Portugal and Finland.
"We always send each other messages pre and post games, he (Steve Clarke) is quite a calming influence as well," Kerr said after naming her latest squad.
"Sometimes he gives me words of wisdom as well. He text me back after the game on Thursday night and again last night.
"Every game that Steve goes into there are different challenges. Thursday night was a massive challenge, last night was a different one, and he has got another one on Wednesday.
"We are in constant communication which I really like, I know that when Steve first came into the role he was blown away by what the women's team had done.
"Now it's our turn to look to the men's team to see how they qualified, and maybe get some little secrets from him on how they have done it because it is fantastic for the whole country."
Scotland Women, who sit third in their group, are away to Portugal on November 27, before facing Finland at Easter Road on December 1 as they bid to qualify for another major tournament after Kerr guided them to the Women's World Cup in 2019.
"It's still very much in our hands, it's two massive games but two games that are we are all looking forward to," Kerr said.
"I think the whole euphoria around the men qualifying on Thursday night, it just gives the country such a massive boost. We now want to go and emulate that.
"We know it is going to be tough. The U21s play this week and they have got a chance to get a finals for the first time in many years too.
"Steve and the guys have set a real example there by obviously achieving qualification for the first time in over 20 years. It's massive for the country and we want to feed off that going into these two games."
Goalkeepers: Lee Alexander (Glasgow City); Jenna Fife (Rangers); Shannon Lynn (Vittsjö GIK)
Defenders: Jenni Beattie (Arsenal); Rachael Boyle (Hibernian); Rachel Corsie (Birmingham City); Nicola Docherty (Rangers); Hannah Godfrey (Tottenham Hotspur Women); Sophie Howard (Leicester City); Emma Mitchell (Reading FC); Kirsty Smith (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Chloe Arthur (Aston Villa); Leanne Crichton (Glasgow City); Lisa Evans (Arsenal); Lucy Graham (Everton); Sam Kerr (Glasgow City); Kim Little (Arsenal); Christie Murray (Birmingham City); Caroline Weir (Manchester City)
Forwards: Lizzie Arnot (Rangers); Fiona Brown (Rosengard); Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea FC); Claire Emslie (Everton LFC); Kirsty Hanson (Manchester United); Zoe Ness (Rangers); Jane Ross (Manchester United); Martha Thomas (West Ham United)