Clarke’s resignation came as the announcement was made that Scotland could not progress to the World Cup knockout rounds as they exited the competition.
Despite the early exit this summer, Clarke ended his nation’s painful wait to appear at major tournaments and led them to the World Cup which is a fine achievement in itself.
The Scots opened Group C with a 1-0 win over Haiti but losses to Brazil and Haiti saw them book flights home earlier than many expected.
As many still react to the news, Clarke was defiant as he suggested his Scotland side will be remembered for years to come.
On stepping away: "In some respects it was easy because I already had in my head what I wanted to achieve as a head coach. I'd also ticked all the boxes.
"We showed a lot of character and we played some good stuff. We didn't find the quality in the final third of the pitch, but I could maybe say that across the whole seven years we've always been chasing and trying to find that quality in the final third of the pitch - and I hope my successor manages to do that."
On his time in charge: "We'll become part of Scottish folklore as we move forward," he predicted. "People will be talking about some of these matches, some of these occasions right into the next century.
"Everybody keeps saying this core group's finished. They're not finished yet, because they can all make it for Euro 2028."
Scotland’s next games will be against North Macedonia, Slovenia and Switzerland in the autumn's Nations League fixtures where a new manager will take charge.