Andy is happy Scots will be staying at Hampden
“Fair play to the fans for coming out”
ANDy Robertson admits he was blown away by the Murrayfield experience but the Scotland captain is delighted Hampden will remain the home of the national football team.
The Champions League-winning left-back was in Edinburgh on Sunday as Liverpool took on Napoli in a glamour friendly in the capital.
Jurgen Klopp’s newly crowned European champions lost 3-0 to the Serie A side but Robertson was left impressed by the atmosphere conjured up by the huge crowd of 65,442.
The attendance was the highest in Scotland for a football match in 30 years, since Celtic and Rangers faced off in front of 72,000 in the Old Firm Scottish Cup final at Hampden in 1989.
However, despite being impressed by the big occasion in Edinburgh, Robertson is happy that Hampden recently saw off a challenge from the SRU, who wanted to host future football internationals at the home of Scottish Rugby.
Robertson said: ‘I know there has been a debate going on up here in Scotland about stadiums but that has been put to bed now by staying at Hampden.
‘Murrayfield is an incredible stadium but we prefer playing at Hampden.
‘We like playing at Hampden and they will probably make some changes in the future there.
‘But Murrayfield was incredible! It was the first time I had been here and the pitch and the stadium were very good.
‘I enjoyed it — and I really enjoyed playing in front of a full crowd. That makes a big difference. ‘Fair play to all the fans for coming out in their numbers and supporting us the way they did. ‘I didn’t expect it would be a sell-out but then somebody told me a week or so ago that I’d better get my ticket orders in quickly. The fans were just amazing. ‘But we should have given them more to cheer about.’ After his brief homecoming, Robertson can’t wait to get back to Hampden when Scotland resume their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a home doubleheader in Glasgow against Russia and Belgium in September.
The Liverpool star is particularly looking forward to facing Roberto Martinez’s Belgian side, who are No 1 in the FIFA rankings.
The national team captain was forced to sit out the 3-0 defeat in Brussels in June after picking up an injury against Cyprus three days earlier.
Despite his disappointment, the 25-year-old was left impressed by the performance of Kilmarnock left-back Greg Taylor (pictured), who was handed his big chance against the Belgians by Scotland boss Steve Clarke.
‘Belgium was just a game too many for me last season,’ said Robertson.
‘I put a lot emotionally and physically into playing against Cyprus three days earlier after the comedown of the Champions League final at the start of the month. Unfortunately, I picked up a hamstring injury. I just couldn’t quite get there.
‘I would have only been at 40 or 50 per cent if I had played against Belgium.
‘The manager handled it brilliantly. He told me not to take a risk and I appreciated that.
‘But it was devastating for me because I didn’t want to end the season that way, sitting in the stands knowing I couldn’t help.
‘I was proud of the lads, especially the way Greg Taylor played.
‘Now the two games coming up in September are going to be crucial for us.
‘I will focus on them once we get the first five or six league games out of the way with Liverpool.
‘It is going to be a big season for club and country — and, hopefully, a successful one.’