Is Clarke now Scotland's greatest-ever manager?

"As a manager, you normally wake up with that tight feeling in your stomach. I didn't have it this morning and I thought, 'wow, that's strange'."

By now, Steve Clarke should know to trust his own instinct.

For it is his way, his mind, his management that has ended Scotland's 28-year wait for a return to a men's World Cup finals after the dramatic defeat of Denmark at a hysterical Hampden booked the nation's ticket to North America next summer.

Despite leading his country to back-to-back Euros following a 23-year hiatus, the 62-year-old is sometimes met with mixed emotions within the Tartan Army.

But now - for a wee while, at least - he will surely only be spoken of in the highest regard. Revered. Lauded. Glorified. For he is now the first man to lead Scotland to three major tournaments.

But does that make him the nation's greatest?

"Unbelievable," goalscorer Kieran Tierney said when asked of his head coach's achievement. "It speaks for itself. It doesn't matter what people say. I couldn't be happier for him because he's been brilliant with me and he's trusted me."

A word that perhaps typifies Clarke's reign more than any other. Trust.

Seldom does he shake up his squad, never mind his team.

It speaks volumes that, when Lawrence Shankland - the Scottish Premiership's top goalscorer this season - was turned to in the 64th minute as the Scots searched for a goal, it was met with murmurs of surprise.

Clarke's unstinting loyalty is sometimes seen as his downfall, but not on a night where Kenny McLean - often a name mentioned in such conversations - calmed Scotland in midfield and came up clutch in the most momentous of manners.

The head coach's choice was once again vindicated. And then some.

"If I give myself a bit of credit, I chose the right way," he told BBC Scotland when speaking about his tenure afterwards.

"We chose more caps, more experience. When you come to a night like this, when you're behind and struggling, and not sure it's going to happen, I trust my players.

"I've told them so many times, I trust them implicitly because we've been on a journey. This was the opportunity we had spoken about and waited for.

"What a night, eh?"

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.