How Jack Hendry’s Saudi experience can help him stay cool in the US heat

They call this place the Sunshine State for a reason. It hits with a ferocious intensity, the slightest breeze allowing it to pierce… until a massive thunderstorm hits.

Such tempestuous conditions were exactly what Clarke wanted, although he stressed this week the importance of “acclimatising” his squad to the conditions they will face throughout the tournament.

The Scots open against Haiti (Sunday, June 14, 02:00 BST) – live across the BBC – and play Morocco in Boston before returning to Miami to face Brazil on Wednesday, June 24 (23:00).

“If we had been out for the Miami game it would have been a shock because as soon as you get off the plane it hits you, the humidity and the heat,” Hendry told BBC Scotland at the team’s hotel in Fort Lauderdale.

“So it’s good that we can come here for this week, prepare and get used to it and I’m sure that will put us in a really good place going into the game.”

Water breaks will come in handy, and Hendry stresses the importance of “using them efficiently”.

“They will definitely help us from a recovery standpoint, but probably tactical as well,” he said.

“I’m used to it in Saudi; we have these water breaks and it can disrupt the rhythm of the game a bit, but it definitely helps from the players’ point of view.”

When the Scots return south after back-to-back games in Boston, they may have already done what no other Scottish team has done, reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup.

That’s undoubtedly the goal of this talented, together squad, but they’re not looking too far ahead. They are still Scottish after all.

“I think trying to reach as far as possible,” Hendry said of what success looks like for the country this summer.

“It’s difficult to look too far ahead. The main ambition is to try to get out of the group. Then we’ll see where we can go later.

“We can’t look too far ahead, just take it game by game and if we do that, enjoy it and play the best we can, then we should be able to achieve it.

“We have to make the most of it and make sure we don’t come out of it with any regrets.”