THE KING AND I
Andy: Kenny has been different class with me.. he gives me advice all the time. I’ve found my home at Liverpool.. I’d retire here if I could
Not many people can say they turn to Kenny Dalglish for advice
ANDY ROBERTSON SHOWS RESPECT FOR HIS MENTOR
ANDY ROBERTSON has lifted the lid on his incredible bond with Kenny Dalglish.
The Scotland skipper wrote himself into the Anfield history books this summer by helping end a 30-year wait for a title.
And he admits seeing the emotion pour out of his idol, the last manager to win the league for Liverpool, brought home exactly what it meant to millions of fans.
King Kenny has been a huge influence on Robertson’s career. And the 26-year-old was ready to repay Dalglish for all his guidance when the Scotland legend was struck down by coronavirus earlier this year.
But Robertson knows the best pay back would be to stay at Anfield and add even more silverware to the cabinet.
He said: “I’ve found my home at Liverpool and I love playing for this club. If I could retire at Liverpool I’d bite your hand off for it now. In an ideal world I’d want to retire here.”
The fatherly advice of Dalglish has played a huge role in helping Robertson find a home from home. So he was humbled to see what the Premier League success meant to his mentor.
He told The Lockdown Tactics podcast: “For the King to be emotional means we’ve done something pretty well.
“He was brought up as a player and a manager here and he was used to success.
“For this club to go 30 years without winning the league was something we had to change. That’s why people were more emotional than usual.
“Hopefully winning the league will become a normal thing again for Liverpool.
“From the moment I signed,
Sir Kenny has been different class. The day I signed he came into Melwood to welcome me.
“Him and his wife Marina have been exceptional with me and my family, whether it was settling into our house or getting anything we needed.
“A legend like him doesn’t need to be like that. But he has been so crucial for me.
“I’ve spoken to him about Liverpool and about Scotland and he has been someone I’ve been able to turn to.
“Not many people can say they can turn to Kenny Dalglish for advice. Kenny was my dad and grandad’s hero. I remember when we beat Barcelona in the Champions League my dad and grandad were at the game.
“He came into the box to say hi to my grandad. He’s 89 and that was something he will never forget.
“He was having a red wine with my grandad and that’s something we will never forget. For a family like us it was quite emotional to see that.
“And I’ve tried to help him. When he got the coronavirus everyone was worried, me as well. Kenny got through it fine but at that moment that’s maybe when it turned and I was willing to do anything for him and his family just as he had done for me since I arrived at Liverpool.”
That “anything” might involve committing himself to the Anfield club for life, something Robertson admits he’d bite your hand off for.
The story of his release from Celtic as a teenager is well known, as is his meteoric rise to the top of world football, starting at Queen’s Park. Eleven years on from being told he was too small by his boyhood heroes, the 26-year-old has added that Premier League winner’s medal to his Champions League gong from 2019.
Asked if he felt he had unfinished business at Celtic, Robertson said: “It’s something I think about quite a lot to be honest. If you asked me when I was playing for Hull if I wanted to go back and play for Celtic then I would have said that 100 per cent I wanted to play for my boyhood club.
“Playing at this club is
amazing. To play in front of the fans every second week at Anfield is incredible.
“When I was younger I wanted to play for Celtic and give my best years to them. I didn’t want to be hanging on and going there at 33 or 34 when I knew my best years were gone.
“I still follow Celtic and they still have a place in my heart.
“It would be hard to say no but if I did have the option of retiring at Liverpool
I’d bite your hand off for it and I’d probably sign now.” The Lockdown Tactics is a brand new podcast, hosted by Robert Snodgrass and Kris Boyd. Every week TLT interviews big names with the core focus being on Mental Health and Wellbeing Its chosen charity partner is the Kris Boyd Charity. To watch the full interview, go to YouTube and the various TLT social platforms from 4pm today.