Emma Lawton admits Scotland's women's side have been extra-motivated by Steve Clarke's history-makers to make it a World Cup double for the nation this year.

The Tartan Army are planning their assault on the USA this summer to see the men's side play Group C games against Haiti and Morocco in Foxborough and Brazil in Miami with the hope of progression to the knockout stages after reaching the finals of the tournament for the first time since 1998.

The SWNT's quest for a return to football's biggest stage dates back only to the World Cup finals in 2019.

After watching their male colleagues infuse a nation with excitement and enthusiasm by reaching the 2026 finals in North America, Lawton and her team mates are extra keen to emulate that achievement and they began their 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign last month with a 5-0 and 7-0 win over minnows Luxembourg, with Belgium and Israel also in the section.

The 24-year-old Celtic defender from East Kilbride said: "As a football fan, the men qualifying was a great day, and a great achievement for the nation.

"And it gives us that motivation to hopefully go and replicate that and get ourselves in Brazil next year.

"It would be a great accomplishment for the nation to have both the men's and the women's teams competing at the most recent World Cups, and the men getting to the finals definitely gave us that that boost to go and really push for that qualification.

"It doesn't get much better than Brazil for a World Cup finals, definitely not.

"When you think of World Cup football, you think of those kind of South American countries, so to have the opportunity to potentially play in a World Cup in Brazil would be what dreams are made of.

"I remember watching the last Women's World Cup as a fan, in the house.

"To be able to go to a World Cup and be on the telly, inspiring the next generation, that would be something that would be really special.

"It was always a dream, but it was just never really something that I thought would actually happen.

"So to be with the chance of actually doing that is a bit surreal, to be honest."

Lawton received her first call-up to the senior Scotland squad in February last year and made her debut in a 1–0  Women's Nations League defeat away to Austria.

She scored her first Scotland goal four days later in a 2–1 defeat to Netherlands at Hampden Park - and her second in the recent seven-goal thrashing of Luxembourg - and the former Partick Thistle and Motherwell player is still trying to get to grips with a "whirlwind" 18 months or so.

"I wasn't really expecting to come in to the squad and start straight away," she said.

"I just thought I would be in and around an environment, learning off the players that were already there but to go in and start, and then obviously to then start again against the Netherlands at Hampden with my family there, was great.

"My mum Sarah, my dad, Richard, and my sister Melissa, and lots of aunts and uncles and my gran and grandpa, they were all there which was really nice

"I do remember the goal, but most of it was a bit of a blur to be honest. I just remember the ball falling to me, and I thought I'm just going to hit this and hope it goes in and luckily it did.

"That'll be a moment that I'll remember for a long, long time.

"From signing for Celtic in 2024 on deadline day to become a full-time player, I feel like everything just happened so quickly from then on.

"I've probably not really processed it yet to be honest.

"It's happened, but I've not actually really gave myself that time to appreciate what I did and how quickly I did it. But I'm just living in the moment and looking forward to what 2026 has to bring.

"Obviously at club level, we're in a league and we've got the Scottish Cup still and to win both of them would be really good, and then obviously with Scotland, qualifying for the World Cup.

"If we can do that by the end of the year, that would top everything and to have played my part, whether it's big or small would be special.

"So for me, the World Cup qualifying campaign would be the highlight of the year if we managed to do it."

The two convincing wins against Luxembourg will be followed by a double-header against top seeds Belgium next week.

With the Red Devils winning 3-0 and 5-0 against Israel in the other Group B4 game, the Scots are top on a goal difference of four.

Lawton said: "It was really important for us to get off to a good start.

"Obviously to score once for your country is a real privilege, but then to get a second one, I was just  so happy, and my family were there again, so it's nice to have those moments in a Scotland jersey.

"We know goal difference can could be very important come the end of the qualifiers so it is important for us in any game, but particularly these ones, that we just keep going and keep trying to get those goals because, like I say, it can it could be really defining come the end.

"The two Belgium games are going to be really difficult games, they are a good nation, they've got a great team.

"But we know the quality that we've got, and it's just important that we focus on what we can do to nullify their strengths and then, make sure that we can perform and win those games."

Tickets are on sale for Scotland v Belgium here.

Tuesday, 14 April KO 7.30pm

Ticket information:

Adults £10

Concessions £5

Under-16 Free

SSC Members Free