A picture of calm as Rebecca Donaldson joins Formula 1 racing driver boyfriend Carlos Sainz Jr for a stroll ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix
The track side is filled with fumes and revving engine noises with mechanics often in grime-covered overalls working at the speed of light to change tyres.
But Scots model Rebecca Donaldson looked a picture of calm and ready for the catwalk as she joined her boyfriend Carlos Sainz Jr for the Monaco Grand Prix yesterday.
Looking immaculate in her white and grey outfit, she was out for a stroll around the paddock ahead of the race with the Spaniard struggling to keep up on a bike.
The 28-year-old, from Scone, Perthshire, has been linked to the Williams driver, 30, since 2023 and has been a regular sight at the Formula 1 circuit this season.
Despite her heels the Scots beauty, who has featured in the covers of high-end fashion magazines including Vogue and Marie Claire, walked at some pace alongside the racing driver.
But it was another disappointing day for Ms Donaldson as her beau failed to make the podium with Britain's Lando Norris taking the top spot.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Martin learned all about Ibrox folklore drinking whisky in the jacuzzi with kitman Jimmy Bell
GIVEN the chaos that surrounded Rangers back in January 2018, Russell Martin was always facing a tall order when he arrived at Ibrox on loan from Norwich City. In what will rank as one of the most ignominious campaigns in the club's history, the season had started with the European humiliation at the hands of Progres Niederkorn. Pedro Caixinha was sacked as manager just a couple of months further down the line, before Graeme Murty took charge on an interim basis. Looking to add some experience in central defence, it was Murty who signed Martin after the pair had worked together previously at Norwich. But it didn't go to plan. In particular, two hammerings by Celtic towards the end of the season ensured the atmosphere among the Rangers supporters, and also in the dressing room, turned toxic. The first was a 4-0 defeat at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, before Rangers then lost 5-0 at Celtic Park a fortnight later. Martin played the full 90 minutes in both matches. It was a bruising experience and one which Martin has spoken candidly about this week after being named as Rangers' new head coach. The season would end with Jimmy Nicholl taking charge of the team as Rangers and Hibs fought out a 5-5 draw at Easter Road on the final day, with the Ibrox club finishing third in the league. Yet, even despite the chaos and mutiny around him, Martin knew he was learning from one of the very best. In Jimmy Bell, there was no greater man from whom to learn the values and history of Rangers as a club. The legendary Ibrox kitman, who sadly passed away in 2022, became an invaluable source of knowledge and guidance to Martin, even in those darkest of times. So, too, did club masseur Davie 'Disco' Lavery. 'It was amazing to be around those guys,' said the new head coach, who has signed a three-year deal to take charge at Ibrox. 'Disco got engaged the other night, so I want to congratulate him. 'It would always just remind you about what the club meant, what brought it success, we'd talk about it a lot — Jimmy especially. 'For the first week or two, I didn't have a clue. Jimmy hardly said a word to me apart from to tell me off about kit and stuff. 'By the end, we got on really well. I was so sad when he passed. On my last day at the training ground, he brought in a bottle of whisky. I was in the jacuzzi and I was the last one there. 'He brought in two plastic cups, and I don't drink, but I felt obligated because it was Jimmy. He's a Rangers legend. I was already a bit dehydrated, I'd been in the jacuzzi too long and he poured me a couple. 'He told me so many stories and it was a beautiful moment. I'm really glad I shared that with him. I was very grateful because I felt that meant he had accepted me. 'It hadn't gone well on the pitch, but he understood that I'd tried my very best. I'd really tried with a few of the young lads as well and spent a lot of extra time with them to try to help them on their journeys. 'Jimmy was regaling me of stories for a long time, and I had to leave in a taxi. It probably explains my performance the day after. When you've an appreciation of how much it meant to him as a person, someone who'd worked in the club and seen it all. 'I think to feel that passionate about the club, and Disco as well, the way he talks about it, he got emotional talking about his football club and what it meant to him. 'Disco was sad at that point because it wasn't what it was, and he was desperate for it to be back to where it was. So, we had a lovely conversation the other day and he's delighted I'm coming back… or so he's told me! I said to Disco at the time when I was here as a player, I want to manage this club one day. He texted me last night saying: 'You've made it happen. Well done, I'm proud of you'. I'm really grateful for that. 'When I came here, I wanted to stay here as a player for as long as I could. And then when it became apparent that it wasn't going to happen, the aim was then to try to get back here as a coach or as a manager. And thankfully I've been able to do that.' Back in 2018, Martin was the victim of sectarian abuse during his time in Glasgow. In a clip which was circulated on social media, he was verbally abused by a Celtic fan in the middle of a shop. He understands the intensity of working in Glasgow is unlike any other environment, but insists the positive messages of support far outweigh the trolls. Martin is thick-skinned and has high tolerance levels in terms of stress, qualities which he feels came as a result of his upbringing with an abusive father. There were times when he could walk around Glasgow in relative anonymity, even when he was on Scotland duty. It's a luxury he will now longer have. 'The size of this club, I think, people don't understand until you come up here,' explained the 39-year-old. 'I thought I'd had an understanding and then being in it, it's even bigger than what you think and how much it means to people. 'Also, I played for Scotland for six or seven years prior to that and still had complete anonymity walking around Glasgow if I was up here for a game. 'Then, literally the day after I came here, I was walking through the West End and had none. 'I was like, 'Okay, that's changed. Now I need to go out with a hat on and my glasses if I want to go and read in the West End'. 'In football you have to accept it is part and parcel that sometimes you might get a bit of stick. I never felt under threat. I think I only got put out because someone filmed it. 'On the whole, the positive stuff — the conversations you have with people, even fans of opposition teams — far outweighs the negative stuff. The intensity of it all is not like anywhere else I've ever experienced, but I think that's part of the attraction.'
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Scotsman
Big questions hanging over Steve Clarke and Scotland - and goalkeeper issue is only tip of iceberg
Tartan Army losing faith ahead of World Cup qualification campaign Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... While Scotland's performance against Iceland on Friday is unlikely to ruin anyone's summer - it was a friendly after all - there was much to be concerned about ahead of the World Cup qualifiers kicking off in September. The immediate post-mortem surrounded the performance of rookie goalkeeper Cieran Slicker, who was thrust into a situation he was ill-equipped to handle, but this was not the only factor in the dismal defeat. Far from it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Slicker's personal nightmare - the 22-year-old culpable for all three goals conceded after replacing the injured Angus Gunn inside seven minutes - has masked what was another gruesome Scotland display across all areas of the pitch. I say 'another' because such horror shows are becoming all too frequent for Steve Clarke's side. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke looks downbeat during the 3-1 defeat to Iceland at Hampden on Friday. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group In isolation, a 3-1 home loss against the nation sitting 74th in the Fifa rankings is bad enough. But against the backdrop of just one victory in nine Hampden outings - including miserable defeats to Greece, Poland and Northern Ireland - not to mention the lamentable showing at Euro 2024, it is little wonder that the Tartan Army are reaching breaking point. The boos which followed the half-time and full-time whistles on Friday proved as much. As did 20,000 empty seats, although exorbitant ticket prices for a friendly match almost certainly played a role in the reduced attendance. Has Clarke taken Scotland as far as he can? Scotland fans are entitled to expect better from their team. The consequence of such worrying form is that serious questions are again being raised over the direction of travel under Clarke as he enters the seventh, and likely final year of his tenure. The long-serving head coach has brought some great times to Scotland. Qualifying for back-to-back Euros to end a 23-year wait for a major finals will be his proud legacy, regardless of the disappointments he has also endured. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, every manager has a shelf life and it feels like the 61-year-old is approaching the end of his. Some would argue it has already expired. That Clarke has taken Scotland as far as he can and that fresh ideas are required ahead of the 2026 World Cup bid. Scotland's Cieran Slicker at full time after the 3-1 defeat to Iceland. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Social media has been awash with calls for the manager to be relieved of his duties over the past 48 hours. AI-generated pictures of Ange Postecoglou in a Scotland tie and blazer have also been circulated. The notion of Clarke being replaced by the ex-Tottenham and Celtic boss is a fanciful one. The Scottish FA, rightly or wrongly, will not be minded to deny Clarke the opportunity to see out the final year of his contract in spite of the wavering faith of the Tartan Army. But it is equally unlikely that Clarke will fulfil his dream of leading the nation to next year's tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without a marked improvement in performances. Problems all over the pitch Solving the goalkeeper issue is an obvious priority. But providing Craig Gordon, Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly are fit again by September, then this will likely be resolved on its own, at least in the short term. It felt more like bad luck than bad judgement that Slicker ended up making his international debut having barely made a handful of senior appearances for Ipswich. The former Scotland Under-21 was in the squad to gain experience, rather than minutes on the park. A lesson for Clarke perhaps that he cannot afford to call up players who are not ready and able to play. One can only hope Slicker's career trajectory has not been fatally damaged by this unfortunate episode. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Where Clarke's problems run deeper is in his tactics, team selection and motivating his players. The return to a back five in a home friendly against Iceland felt like a major step back from the progress that had been made across the Nations League campaign where Scotland were a much more progressive and balanced outfit with a back four. The lacklustre and half-hearted efforts of the players at Hampden on Friday suggested they too were not particularly enamoured with being asked to reprise a system that was binned after being so badly exposed at Euro 2024. The infuriating sideways and backwards passing was a throwback to last summer's tournament where Scotland's stunted attack barely registered a shot on goal. This is football with the handbrake on. The persistence with Grant Hanley also continues to cause bemusement and frustration given the 33-year-old's lack of club action. Loyalty is an admirable trait that has served Clarke well, but it can also be a major flaw when younger, match-fit alternatives are consistently overlooked, particularly in a friendly, where Hanley, understandably, appeared laboured. Scott McKenna, after a season in La Liga competing against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, must be wondering what he has done wrong. The apparent obsession over accommodating both Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney in the starting line-up cannot be the sole determining factor when it comes to team set up. It would, though, take a brave call to decide which of the two to leave out, or as has been suggested, push one into left midfield. Scotland's George Hirst (centre) looks dejected after heading over the bar during the defeat to Iceland. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group Midfield strength must be harnessed Clarke also needs to solve the midfield dilemma over how best to utilise the strongest area of his team. Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, John McGinn - on paper a midfield that should dictate matches against better teams than Iceland but they were set up in such a way that allowed the opposition to run through them all too easily. With Ryan Christie to come back into the equation, and Lennon Miller emerging as a player of huge promise, Clarke has more than enough quality at his disposal to ensure the Scotland engine room functions properly - which includes freeing up McTominay to play centrally as an attacking force, which he has done to devastating effect with Napoli in Serie A this season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is also the striking problem. Clarke gave George Hirst his chance against Iceland and, barring a poor miss with a first-half header, the Ipswich front man gave a decent account of himself, forcing two good saves from goalkeeper Elías Rafn Ólafsson and netting a goal which was ruled out for an offside against McTominay in the build-up. But it was another match which passed by without a Scotland striker hitting the target. It has been a year and counting since Lawrence Shankland headed the opener in the 2-2 draw with Finland. Has any team ever qualified for a World Cup without a striker finding the net? Scotland do have an in-form striker at their disposal. Che Adams bagged 10 goals in his debut season in Serie A with Torino, having netted 19 times for Southampton the previous campaign, yet has managed just one goal for his country - against minnows Gibraltar - in approaching three years. Something has to change with the way Scotland set up to give their starting striker, whoever it may be, more service.
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Scotsman
Big questions hanging over Steve Clarke and Scotland - and goalkeeper issue is only part of it
Tartan Army losing faith ahead of World Cup qualification campaign Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... While Scotland's performance against Iceland on Friday is unlikely to ruin anyone's summer - it was a friendly after all - there was much to be concerned about ahead of the World Cup qualifiers kicking off in September. The immediate post-mortem surrounded the performance of rookie goalkeeper Cieran Slicker, who was thrust into a situation he was ill-equipped to handle, but this was not the only factor in the dismal defeat. Far from it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Slicker's personal nightmare - the 22-year-old culpable for all three goals conceded after replacing the injured Angus Gunn inside seven minutes - has masked what was another gruesome Scotland display across all areas of the pitch. I say 'another' because such horror shows are becoming all too frequent for Steve Clarke's side. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke looks downbeat during the 3-1 defeat to Iceland at Hampden on Friday. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group In isolation, a 3-1 home loss against the nation sitting 74th in the Fifa rankings is bad enough. But against the backdrop of just one victory in nine Hampden outings - including miserable defeats to Greece, Poland and Northern Ireland - not to mention the lamentable showing at Euro 2024, it is little wonder that the Tartan Army are reaching breaking point. The boos which followed the half-time and full-time whistles on Friday proved as much. As did 20,000 empty seats, although exorbitant ticket prices for a friendly match almost certainly played a role in the reduced attendance. Has Clarke taken Scotland as far as he can? Scotland fans are entitled to expect better from their team. The consequence of such worrying form is that serious questions are again being raised over the direction of travel under Clarke as he enters the seventh, and likely final year of his tenure. The long-serving head coach has brought some great times to Scotland. Qualifying for back-to-back Euros to end a 23-year wait for a major finals will be his proud legacy, regardless of the disappointments he has also endured. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, every manager has a shelf life and it feels like the 61-year-old is approaching the end of his. Some would argue it has already expired. That Clarke has taken Scotland as far as he can and that fresh ideas are required ahead of the 2026 World Cup bid. Scotland's Cieran Slicker at full time after the 3-1 defeat to Iceland. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Social media has been awash with calls for the manager to be relieved of his duties over the past 48 hours. AI-generated pictures of Ange Postecoglou in a Scotland tie and blazer have also been circulated. The notion of Clarke being replaced by the ex-Tottenham and Celtic boss is a fanciful one. The Scottish FA, rightly or wrongly, will not be minded to deny Clarke the opportunity to see out the final year of his contract in spite of the wavering faith of the Tartan Army. But it is equally unlikely that Clarke will fulfil his dream of leading the nation to next year's tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without a marked improvement in performances. Problems all over the pitch Solving the goalkeeper issue is an obvious priority. But providing Craig Gordon, Angus Gunn and Liam Kelly are fit again by September, then this will likely be resolved on its own, at least in the short term. It felt more like bad luck than bad judgement that Slicker ended up making his international debut having barely made a handful of senior appearances for Ipswich. The former Scotland Under-21 was in the squad to gain experience, rather than minutes on the park. A lesson for Clarke perhaps that he cannot afford to call up players who are not ready and able to play. One can only hope Slicker's career trajectory has not been fatally damaged by this unfortunate episode. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Where Clarke's problems run deeper is in his tactics, team selection and motivating his players. The return to a back five in a home friendly against Iceland felt like a major step back from the progress that had been made across the Nations League campaign where Scotland were a much more progressive and balanced outfit with a back four. The lacklustre and half-hearted efforts of the players at Hampden on Friday suggested they too were not particularly enamoured with being asked to reprise a system that was binned after being so badly exposed at Euro 2024. The infuriating sideways and backwards passing was a throwback to last summer's tournament where Scotland's stunted attack barely registered a shot on goal. This is football with the handbrake on. The persistence with Grant Hanley also continues to cause bemusement and frustration given the 33-year-old's lack of club action. Loyalty is an admirable trait that has served Clarke well, but it can also be a major flaw when younger, match-fit alternatives are consistently overlooked, particularly in a friendly, where Hanley, understandably, appeared laboured. Scott McKenna, after a season in La Liga competing against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, must be wondering what he has done wrong. The apparent obsession over accommodating both Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney in the starting line-up cannot be the sole determining factor when it comes to team set up. It would, though, take a brave call to decide which of the two is first choice left-back and leave the other one out, or as has been suggested, push one into left midfield. Scotland's George Hirst (centre) looks dejected after heading over the bar during the defeat to Iceland. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group Midfield strength must be harnessed Clarke also needs to solve the midfield dilemma over how best to utilise the strongest area of his team. Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, John McGinn - on paper a midfield that should dictate matches against better teams than Iceland but they were set up in such a way that allowed the opposition to run through them all too easily. With Ryan Christie to come back into the equation, and Lennon Miller emerging as a player of huge promise, Clarke has more than enough quality at his disposal to ensure the Scotland engine room functions properly - which includes freeing up McTominay to play centrally as an attacking force, which he has done to devastating effect with Napoli in Serie A this season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is also the striking problem. Clarke gave George Hirst his chance against Iceland and, barring a poor miss with a first-half header, the Ipswich front man gave a decent account of himself, forcing two good saves from goalkeeper Elías Rafn Ólafsson and netting a goal which was ruled out for an offside against McTominay in the build-up. But it was another match which passed by without a Scotland striker hitting the target. It has been a year and counting since Lawrence Shankland headed the opener in the 2-2 draw with Finland. Has any team ever qualified for a World Cup without a striker finding the net?
