Credtime story
Robertson says triumph shows this is a serious prize
ANDY ROBERTSON believes Liverpool’s success in the Club World Cup will help Premier League teams take the competition more seriously.
Incredibly, it is the first time six-time European champions Liverpool have gone on to win the trophy that is being revamped as a 24-team tournament from 2021.
Traditionally South American teams have seen it as a bigger prize while Liverpool in the past have blown it and not gone on to win. But Robertson hopes their success – after Roberto Firmino struck in extra time – in lifting their third piece of silverware of 2019 will pave the way. The Scotland skipper said: “I don’t think the perception in South America needs to change.
“If Flamengo had won, there were going to be parties on the streets. In England, I suppose everyone just moved on with their lives.
“It’s because not many English teams have been here. Down in England, everyone tends to focus on the Carabao Cup because everyone can win it.
“Manchester United were the only winners before, so hopefully we’ve changed perceptions – and hopefully other English teams will be here in the future as that’ll mean we’re successful in the Champions League.
“Leading up to the first Champions League Final in 2018 where we got beaten, we said to ourselves we may not be here again, play with no regrets.
“We did that and fell short but the following season we were back. We didn’t expect that.
“To get here, you need to win the Champions League and we know just how hard that is from the last two years.
“We needed to take it like we’ll never be back and now we’re world champions for 2019.
“In the calendar year, we won the Champions League, Super Cup and now this. To win three in any calendar year is special – and these are big ones.
“The Champions League is absolutely massive. The Super Cup and the Club World Cup are massive to us. We are really excited about it but we have to take the momentum into 2020.
“Hopefully there are a couple more scenes of us lifting trophies above our head to come.”
Virgil van Dijk paid tribute to Jordan Henderson after his inspirational captain’s performance.
Henderson, outstanding as Liverpool won the Club World Cup, has almost become the unsung hero of Jurgen Klopp’s all-conquering team.
So often former Celtic star van Dijk gets the praise or one of the front trio of Mo Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane.
But this time it was Henderson – an emergency centre-half in the semi-final – who rightly got the plaudits for his midfield display.
And van Dijk said: “He’s our captain. That’s what we all respect. He’s having a fantastic season so far.
“He’s been doing fantastically whether filling in for Fabinho or playing as a right midfielder.
“In and out of the pitch he is very important for us whether he plays or not.”