ROBERTSON ON HIS AMAZING KOP RISE
(3pm kick-off unless stated)
PREMIER LEAGUE
(1) Arsenal v Huddersfield ....................... (2) B’mouth v Liverpool (12.30) ..................... (3) Burnley v Brighton ............................. (4) Cardiff v Southampton ....................... (5) Chelsea v Man City (5.30) ................... (6) Leicester v Tottenham (7.45) ..................... (7) Man Utd v Fulham ............................... (9) West Ham v Crystal Palace ................
SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP
(10) Birmingham v Bristol City ................. (11) Brentford v Swansea ......................... (12) Leeds v QPR ...................................... (13) Middlesbrough v Blackburn ................ (14) Millwall v Hull ................................... (15) Norwich v Bolton ............................... (16) Nottm Forest v Preston North End ... (17) Reading v Sheff Utd (5.30) ................... (18) Sheff Wed v Rotherham .................... (19) Stoke v Ipswich ................................ (20) Wigan v Derby ..................................
SKY BET LEAGUE ONE
(22) AFC Wimbledon v Rochdale .............. (21) Accrington Stanley v Sunderland ...... (23) Blackpool v Charlton ........................ (24) Bristol Rovers v Doncaster .............. (25) Burton Albion v Shrewsbury ............. (26) Luton v Fleetwood Town .................. (27) Peterborough v Oxford Utd .............. (28) Plymouth v Bradford ........................ (29) Portsmouth v Southend ................... (30) Scunthorpe v Gillingham .................. (31) Walsall v Coventry ............................ (32) Wycombe v Barnsley ........................
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO
(33) Bury v Exeter ................................... (34) Cheltenham v Grimsby ..................... (35) Colchester v Macclesfield ................ (36) Crawley Town v Northampton .......... (37) Crewe v Oldham ............................... (-) Mansfield v Notts County (1) ............... (38) MK Dons v Carlisle ........................... (39) Morecambe v Port Vale .................... (40) Stevenage v Lincoln City ................. (41) Swindon v Newport County ............... (42) Tranmere v Cambridge Utd .............. (43) Yeovil v Forest Green ......................
VANARAMA NATIONAL
(-) Barrow v Maidstone Utd ..................... (-) Boreham Wood v L Orient (12.35) ................... (-) Chesterfield v Salford City ................. (-) Dag & Red v FC Halifax ........................ (-) Dover v AFC Fylde .............................. (-) Ebbsfleet Utd v Barnet ....................... (-) Gateshead v Bromley .......................... (-) Harrogate Town v Aldershot ............... (-) Havant & W v Braintree Town ............. (-) Maidenhead Utd v Hartlepool .............. (-) Sutton Utd v Solihull Moors ................ (-) Wrexham v Eastleigh ..........................
LADBROKES SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP (44) Aberdeen v St Johnstone ................. (45) Celtic v Kilmarnock .......................... (47) Hamilton v Hibernian ........................ (48) Hearts v Motherwell ........................ (49) Livingston v St Mirren .....................
LADBROKES SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP (-) Falkirk v Alloa .................................... (-) Morton v Dundee Utd .......................... (-) Partick v Dunfermline ......................... (-) Ross County v Queen of South ............
LADBROKES SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE (-) Brechin v Stenhousemuir .................... (-) Dumbarton v Airdrieonians ................. (-) East Fife v Stranraer .......................... (-) Forfar v Arbroath ............................... (-) Montrose v Raith ................................
LADBROKES SCOTTISH LEAGUE TWO (-) Annan Athletic v Edinburgh City ......... (-) Berwick v Peterhead ........................... (-) Cowdenbeath v Clyde .......................... (-) Elgin v Albion ...................................... (-) Queen’s Park v Stirling ....................... Vanarama North: Alfreton v Spennymoor, Altrincham v Telford, Blyth v Ashton, Boston v York, Bradford PA v Southport, Darlington v Nuneaton, FC United v Curzon, Guiseley v Hereford FC, Kidderminster v Brackley, Leamington v Chorley, Stockport v Chester
Vanarama South: Bath v Concord, Dartford v Slough, E Thurrock v Chelmsford, Eastbourne v Billericay, Gloucester v Hampton & R, Hemel Hemps v Dulwich, Hungerford v Chippenham, Oxford v Truro, St Albans v Wealdstone, Torquay v Welling, Weston-S-M v Woking
Evo-Stik Premier Central: Alvechurch v Rushden & D, Coalville v King’s Lynn, Halesowen v Tamworth, Kettering v Lowestoft, Leiston v Stourbridge, Needham v Banbury, Royston v Biggleswade, Rushall v Hitchin, St Ives v Bedworth, St Neots v Redditch, Stratford v Barwell
Bostik Premier: AFC Hornchurch v Kingstonian, B’s Stortford v Lewes, Bognor Regis v Dorking, Burgess Hill v Carshalton, Corinthian Casuals v Potters Bar, Enfield v Harlow, Haringey v Folkestone, Leatherhead v Brightlingsea, Margate v Wingate & F, Merstham v Whitehawk, Tonbridge v Worthing Evo-Stik Premier North: Buxton v Mickleover, Farsley v Basford, Grantham v Marine, Hednesford v Whitby, Lancaster v Gainsboro, Matlock v Workington , Nantwich v South Shields, Scarborough v Hyde, Stalybridge v Stafford, Warrington v North Ferriby, Witton v Bamber Bridge Evo-Stik Premier South: Basingstoke v Hendon, Beaconsfield v Poole, Chesham v Swindon, Farnboro v Walton, Gosport v Dorchester, Merthyr v Kings Langley, Met Police v Tiverton, Salisbury FC v Wimborne, Taunton v Harrow, Weymouth v Frome
PREMIER LEAGUE
(8) Newcastle v Wolves (4) .......................... LADBROKES SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP (46) Dundee v Rangers (1.30) ...................... TWELVE months ago this week one of Liverpool’s biggest success stories began.
Andrew Robertson got the chance he had been longing for – a sustained run in the first team and the platform to develop into one of the Premier League’s best full-backs.
The 24-year-old moved to Anfield from Hull City amid little fanfare – now he is a firm fan favourite.
“Coming from a relegated club, I don’t think there was as much excitement about me signing as there was with Mo Salah in the same window!” laughed the Scot, who arrived at Liverpool for £10million just 18 months ago.
“But I wanted to prove that I could make the jump.”
Robertson started only two Premier League games for Liverpool before December last year. But he started in a 5-1 win at Brighton early in December and was virtually an everpresent afterwards.
“I wouldn’t say that I doubted myself but maybe I got a bit frustrated because you are used to playing every week and then when that stops it’s hard,” he said.
“I could completely understand why I didn’t travel to games but it doesn’t make it any easier.
“I finally got the chance to prove to everyone that I could make the step and I think I’ve done it.
“The last year I look back upon with fond memories. I’ve loved every minute of it, loved coming into training every day, loved playing in all of the games I’ve been involved in.”
The Glaswegian’s climb to the top – seizing his chance after Alberto Moreno got injured – has been remarkable and is typical of the character and determination that shines through when you talk to him.
His early career was shaped by disappointment and defiance – he refused to give up on his dream of being a footballer even after being released as a schoolboy by Celtic, who told him he was too small.
Robertson laughs at the now infamous tweet he sent in the summer of 2012 moaning he had no money and needed a job.
Less than 10 months later he was signed by Dundee United and the journey – via relegation with Hull – began. “The one thing that happened after (Celtic) was I decided that I didn’t want to give up,” he said.
“Did I imagine that it would take me to Liverpool, to play in the Champions League and challenge for the Premier League? No, probably not.”
It has been a big year for Robertson but an even bigger week is ahead. Liverpool could go top, even if only briefly, by winning at Bournemouth today. Then it is the win-orbust Champions League clash with Napoli at a feverish Anfield on Tuesday.
Robertson added: “We can’t take our eye off one competition to concentrate on the other. The title race looks to have opened up a bit between us and Man City and the rest but we know that Tottenham, Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal will still all be there.
“The midweek game is a big challenge because we know that if we want to progress then we have to win the game. We know the different scenarios but we will look to just win the game and the rest deals with itself.
“We’ve played Napoli before, we know how good they are. But in the Champions League we’re lucky to have a special atmosphere. The Man City game at home (last season) was special, the Roma game was special, and the first game of this campaign against PSG was special.
“We will rely on our fans to give us the boost we need and I’m sure they will because they’ll create a special atmosphere and I’m sure the boys will react to it like they usually do.”