Steve Clarke insisted he always knew what striker Che Adams could bring to the table for Scotland after his hat-trick helped seal a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein on Monday. 

Adams scored his first treble for Scotland, and his first in any competition for club or country, since 2019 for Birmingham City against Queens Park Rangers in the Championship. 

He also became the first Scotland player to be involved in four goals in a game since Steven Fletcher against Gibraltar in October 2015, having set-up George Hirst. 

Adams fired Scotland ahead in the fourth minute after Liechtenstein failed to clear Andy Robertson's corner, with the Torino striker thumping the ball home from close range. 

The goal at three minutes and 28 seconds was the second-earliest scored by Scotland under Clarke, behind John McGinn's strike against Poland in November 2024 (02:53). 

Scotland doubled their lead soon after, ruthlessly punishing Liechtenstein goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel's poor pass, with Adams picking out the bottom-left corner for his brace. 

Hirst then netted his first Scotland goal three minutes after half-time, tapping the ball home from inside the six-yard box after being found by Adams' flicked header from a corner. 

And Adams completed his hat-trick in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, heading substitute Tommy Conway's teasing cross beyond Justin Ospelt. 

"I'm really pleased for Che. We know what he can bring. Strikers need goals. It's been a little while since he got one. I knew he was desperate to score," Clarke said. 

"He got an early one which releases the tension a little bit. I left him on because I knew he'd be desperate for that hat-trick.

"He gets an assist for George [Hirst] too which is big, we play two strikers and they both score which is nice.

"It's not the first time I've [played two up top], its something we've used before."

Adams' treble saw him become the first Scotland player to score a hat-trick since McGinn against San Marino in October 2019, and the first to do so away from home since Robert Snodgrass against Malta in September 2016.

But the 28-year-old was quick to turn away from personal accolades, citing Scotland's display as crucial following their 3-1 defeat to Iceland in a friendly last Friday. 

"I'm happy to get on the scoresheet and help the team," Adams told BBC Scotland. "It's nice to score for Scotland, it's not happened much since I've been here.

"We knew it'd be difficult, the conditions weren't great, but we were very professional and our mentality was spot on.

"It was important to sign off this year with the win. We're happy we put things right from the Iceland game."

Scotland have now won three consecutive away games for the first time since November 2021, also under Clarke – making him the first Scotland manager to win three or more away matches in a row more than once in his tenure since Bobby Brown (also twice) in 1967 (six in a row) and 1969 (three).

The Scots also won by four or more goals in an away match for the first time since November 2018, against Albania (also 4-0).

And despite victory against the side ranked 205th in the world rankings, Clarke lauded his team for showing resilience ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign. 

"I know my players, I trust my players, we've had a couple of disappointments, but they've always shown a resilience to come back and do what they can do," Clarke said. 

"It'll have no bearing on what's going to happen later in the year, but it's nice to finish this camp with a nice win."