INSPIRING FROM KOP TO BOTTOM
Anfield impact has helped rising star Robertson become a mentor to his youthful Scotland team-mates
ANDREW ROBERTSON fully recognised his responsibilities in this Scotland camp long before Charlie Mulgrew passed him a yellow armband with ‘C’ marked on it in the 83rd minute of friendly action at Hampden on Friday evening.
The marauding left-back turned just 24 a fortnight ago, the day before Alex McLeish named a host of uncapped players in his first squad. He turned up radiating a very different status to the crushed soul previously seen in Scotland colours in Slovenia, surrounded by a clutch of more experienced team-mates and suffering a familiar feeling at the end of a campaign.
Robertson has been quick to grasp the scale of the transition and change taking place in the Scotland group and, therefore, how important it is for him to bring his new-found standing as a top-four English Premier League star to the dynamic.
Of the 14 fielded by Gordon Strachan that night, only he and Mulgrew started Alex McLeish’s first game against Costa Rica. Robertson had played only three games for Liverpool before the 2-2 draw in Ljubljana. He’s featured 18 times since — including elite top-flight clashes and a demolition of Porto.
Imbued by the confidence of becoming a key component and one of the most exciting players in Jurgen Klopp’s flamboyant outfit, Robertson can command an audience in this intermediate Scotland camp.
It’s the type of role Darren Fletcher could effortlessly perform on account of his professionalism, profile and presence from a young age. Ten years Fletcher’s junior, Robertson has been identified as a figure for debutants of all ages to look up to.
‘We don’t have superstars, as such,’ says McLeish. ‘But we have to look to guys like Andy Robertson as leaders, who players can look up to and try to emulate what he has done. We’ve got a great player there and we’re thankful to have him.’
He has the pedigree as a £10million Liverpool player, the class as a person, the experience of four years as a senior international and the talent of a Champions League performer to be a leader, mentor and role model to a new influx of Scotland players that McLeish is already attempting to usher through.
‘It’s strange being one of the more experienced guys in the team,’ admits Robertson after his 21st cap and man-of-the-match display at Hampden. ‘Even finishing the last campaign, I was still one of the youngest — and with the fewest caps. We had a lot of experienced players. A few have retired, we’ve lost a lot of what we had.
‘So now I have to pass on my experience to the young lads coming in. In terms of what I can bring into the Scotland camp from Liverpool now, obviously it is a totally different way of playing but I guess it’s experience of playing in big games.
‘When it comes to the campaign, there are a lot of uncapped players here now. A lot of guys with under 10 caps relatively inexperienced at international level.
‘If we can help them along... guys like me, Charlie, big Greegsy (Alan McGregor) in goals and try to let our experience rub off on them. Hopefully it will stand them in good stead.’
Robertson’s trademark work on the left flank was the highlight of an improved second-half display from Scotland in the 1-0 defeat which saw a trio of 21-year-olds earn their first caps — Aberdeen’s Scott McKenna, Swansea’s Oli McBurnie and Scott McTominay of Manchester United.
Fellow debutant Kevin McDonald, 29, and Fulham team-mate Tom Cairney are relatively fresh to the senior set-up, while substitute Jamie Murphy and Barry Douglas enjoyed first-time call-ups at 28.
Robertson cautioned those concerned by the defeat not to underestimate the extent of the upheaval and the mission McLeish faces in the next three friendly fixtures to find a winning way in a new era.
‘It’s a completely new start,’ states Robertson. ‘A completely new set of staff. It’s pretty much a new squad. We’ve brought in a lot of young lads and new faces who need to gel. The midfield three was, basically, completely new.
‘Tom and Kevin have been in squads before but never really got the nod. And, although they play together, they needed to get used to working with Scott. The back three had to get used to that formation — as did myself and Callum Paterson.
‘In the first half, we left Oli isolated too much. He was on his own. But he was holding it up well. The big man is good with his feet. We just needed to get a bit closer to him.
‘We managed to create a couple of chances for him and, on another night, he might have put them away. But we do need to create more for the attacking players.
‘I played against Scott (McTominay) two weeks ago for Liverpool and he was brilliant against us. Against Costa Rica, he’s used to playing a four at the back and dropping in and getting the ball. But we didn’t need that because we had the three centre-halves.
‘But once he got pushed further on and got some license, you could see him coming into his own. He’s young, though, we need to let him adapt and grow. It’s the same with all the young players. We hope we don’t need to take a few hits before it clicks.
‘Obviously we hope to win every game that we go out for but we don’t have a lot of time in internationals. That’s why it might take one or two meetings to get us together and used to this formation.
‘So having the trip to Hungary is good. I’m sure we’ll set up the same, maybe with different personnel. The manager has to look at everyone and I’m sure it will be better than against Costa Rica because we’ll have a couple more days to work at it.
‘It’s the same as club football when you change manager — he has different thoughts. And we need to go with it. He sees something in all these players and he has given them a chance to prove it.
‘I think the squad is strong. But it’s also young. We need everyone to
give us a chance to grow, learn, get better and gel. Once we’ve done that, we can be judged. I’m sure we’ll go into the Nations League a lot better equipped.’
The obstacles of adjustment ahead for Scotland hold no fears for Robertson, whose Liverpool career has taken flight since early December following a period of settling into Anfield life and steep learning curve of raising his game.
‘It wasn’t a frustrating start, it was a start I had to adapt to — playing a totally different way,’ he explained. ‘I had to adapt for two, three months and no one likes not playing but, thankfully, I managed to get my chance. I have taken it and I really feel like I’m playing with confidence now.’
Robertson will hope to extend his club season all the way to Kiev and the Champions League final, a run that would leave McLeish without one of his top men on the flight when Scotland jet off for a post-season tour to south and central America.
The fixtures against Peru (May 29) and Mexico (June 2) have been heavily criticised, particularly from a Celtic perspective with their Scottish representation facing a long-haul trip and minimal break as preparation for their Champions League qualifying countdown.
‘I don’t think anyone finds it ideal,’ said Robertson. ‘Obviously it’s a long way to travel for two games but it is a chance to get another two caps and that’s what the boys have to look at.
‘I’m sure the boys would rather it was closer, especially after such a long season, but that is taken out of our hands. We don’t get to decide that.
‘The board decided it and they obviously thought it was the right decision, so we have to go with it. Whether we are happy with it or not, it doesn’t really make a difference. Representing your country, there is no better feeling.
‘I’m sure we will travel in good numbers. I don’t think the club will be worried about me because there are Liverpool lads going to the World Cup and they will be going right into July. Even with our friendlies, I’ll still get decent time off.’