Scot has proved his doubters wrong on journey to the top
THE fairy-tale rise of Andrew Robertson will reach heady new heights later this month in Kiev. Fresh from starring roles against Manchester City and Roma in the previous two rounds, the 24-year-old is a stick-on to start the Champions League final on May 26 against Cristiano Ronaldo and the mighty Real Madrid.
Released by his beloved Celtic as a kid for being too small, the fact Robertson has subsequently clambered up the divisions in spectacular style is now a well-told story.
Starting at amateur side Queen’s Park in the lowest rung of Scottish professional football in 2012-13, he has emerged as a fans’ favourite at Anfield after impressive spells at Dundee United and Hull City.
Yet as Robertson prepares to become the first Scot to play in a Champions League final since Paul Lambert won the trophy with Borussia Dortmund in 1997, the left-back’s progress over the past five months has, in its own way, been as remarkable as his journey over the past six years.
He was a mere footnote when he arrived at Liverpool last summer from recently relegated Hull; an acquisition in a signing spree that included Mo Salah (£37million) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£40m).
The Scot looked like settling for a place as a squad player as he played second fiddle to Alberto Moreno.
Failing to play consecutive league games until December, an injury to Moreno saw him prove his worth and his fitness and work rate produced one of the moments of the season. In a move that became known as
The Chase he covered 80 yards — pressing John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and Ederson — winning the ball back and capturing the hearts of the Liverpool fans in a 4-3 win over Manchester City.
After failing to feature in any Champions League group-stage matches, boss Jurgen Klopp finally handed Robertson his European debut in a 5-0 away win at Porto in the last 16 on Valentine’s Day.
As has been the case across his career, Robertson snatched his latest big chance with both hands.
Over the past five months, he has won fresh admirers, changed previously critical opinions, and added tens of millions to his bargain £8.5m price tag to now be rated by Mark Lawrenson at £40m.
‘Andy has done brilliantly. I cannot remember a poor game from him,’ the legendary 1984 European Cup-winning Liverpool defender told BBC Scotland.
‘What was it Liverpool paid for him — £8.5m or something? Times that by five!
‘He signed at the start of the season and we saw a brief glimpse of him and then he disappeared.
‘A lot of outsiders were thinking: “Crikey, maybe the manager doesn’t fancy him” and they were wondering if the manager had actually seen him play.
‘People in the game told me he’s great going forward but defensively — against the top teams — they were not sure. Well, I tell you what — nobody has taken him apart as yet.
‘The quality of his passing and crossing is excellent. He is an extremely fit individual and he looks like a player who doesn’t give a problem to his manager.’
Robertson’s fine form has also won over his most high-profile critic, Gary Neville.
After a 3-3 draw at Arsenal in December, the former Manchester United defender insisted Liverpool could never win the league or Champions League with Robertson, Moreno or Estonian centre-half Ragnar Klavan.
Neville said: ‘Do I want Moreno at left-back? Do I want Robertson at left-back? Do I want Klavan as my centre-back playing at Real Madrid away or Barcelona away?
‘You can’t have those players in those games. It’s impossible. So they’ve just got to go.’
Neville had previously picked out Robertson as a weak link before Scotland drew 2-2 with England at Hampden last summer but he has dramatically changed his opinion.
‘I made a comment that I didn’t think he was good enough,’ Neville told Sky Sports this week.
‘I wasn’t talking about how he was going forward but more his defensive work.
‘I’d done a lot of work on him when England played Scotland and we saw him as a weakness going back.
‘I thought he would be found out defensively, with a goalkeeper and a defence (at Liverpool) I wasn’t convinced by. I thought that he would falter.
‘He’s done a lot better than I ever imagined. I have to hold my hands up and bring him into consideration with Marcus Alonso (of Chelsea) to be in my Team of the Season.
‘In terms of goals, it’s a nobrainer. Alonso’s scored more goals, but clean-sheet ratio, Robertson’s better.
‘I’m going to go with Robertson because ultimately Liverpool are having a fantastic season.’