REAL DREAMS DO COME TRUE

Nine-in-a-Row hero Robertson draws upon the spirit of his Ibrox days to work miracles in war-torn Kashmir, juggling extreme weather and religion to guide his side to India’s top tier

IT is a truth universally acknowledged that steven Gerrard faces a gargantuan task at Rangers. But could he do it on a cold, snowy night in a troubled northern indian state? Could he build a team from scratch in just over a year in a region afflicted by war and natural disaster — and achieve history with them?

Rangers legend David Robertson, who played in six of the Nine-in-a-Row title triumphs in the 1990s, has done just that after leading Real Kashmir to promotion to india’s top tier, the i-League.

it is the first time a team from Jammu and Kashmir has achieved the feat — and the club was only formed two years ago.

‘i think it’s the most satisfying (achievement) of my career,’ Robertson told

Sportsmail after his side beat Hindustan 3-2 in the i-League second Division play-off final to finish undefeated with eight wins and five draws.

That is some admission from a man who claimed 14 major honours at both his hometown club Aberdeen and Rangers and nearly reached the 1993 Champions League final with the ibrox side.

While Gerrard prepares for life on scottish football’s battlegrounds, Robertson — who was given his professional debut by sir Alex Ferguson — was plunged into a real-life war zone when he moved to Kashmir in January last year.

Kashmir has been embroiled in a ferocious territorial dispute between neighbouring india and Pakistan since 1947. Fighting continues to this day, although Robertson has fortunately not witnessed any.

But he said: ‘The police are still there with guns on every street. And not just little guns but massive guns. You get a little bit intimidated.’

srinigar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir where Robertson lives, was also devastated by floods in 2014 that left hundreds dead and thousands of houses under water.

Two prominent residents, shamim Meraj, editor of the local newspaper the Kashmir

Monitor, and fellow businessman sandeep Chattoo decided to start a football club as part of the rebuilding of a shattered community.

They had little idea how to go about it but, with passion and perseverance, launched Real Kashmir in April 2016 on a shoestring budget.

Robertson, who had been coaching in Phoenix, Arizona, for ten years, assembled a ragtag team including students, semi-professional bank workers and two Africans.

The upshot is a fairytale triumph that has been hailed in india as being akin to Leicester City’s 2016 Premier League success.

‘i think it’s similar as we were like a surprise package,’ said Robertson, 49. ‘A lot of teams we played had played together for a number of years and Kashmir isn’t recognised for being a football place.’ Robertson exudes jubilation and relief as he reflects on a tumultuous but ultimately lifeaffirming odyssey. He had been craving a new challenge after becoming weary of a relentless coaching schedule in the states after beginning his managerial career at Elgin City and Montrose. Coaching stints in Vietnam and then Thailand for Leeds United, where he ended his playing career in 2001, had opened his eyes to broader horizons.

But india proved to be ‘a completely different experience’ to what he had envisaged when he accepted an offer from Meraj, who had been put in touch with Robertson through an agent.

The former full-back (left) admits he had associated india with heat, so it was a seismic shock when he was plunged into Kashmir’s bleak mid-winter.

Heavy snow forced frequent cancellations of training sessions, there are power cuts for six hours a day during harsh weather, and no outside entertainment to alleviate the desolation.

When fighting does erupt, nightly curfews are imposed which mean residents cannot venture out after a certain time. ‘There are no McDonald’s, no coffee shops, no cinemas,’ said Robertson, whose wife and three grown-up children remain in scotland.

‘They are very humble people and live a very simple life.

‘Being an Aberdonian, it’s probably a good thing that it’s virtually impossible to spend money!

‘it was a real culture shock and the first few days i found it tough. i didn’t realise what i was getting myself into and the owner persuaded me to stay. i went home but i came back.

‘i’m glad that i did. it’s been a tough year but enjoyable and i’ve become a better person experiencing different cultures. it’s a beautiful place in the summer.’

Robertson feels he ‘can coach anywhere in the world now’ having survived india’s myriad, and occasionally maddening, idiosyncrasies.

‘There are goats, sheep and cows all over the place and so many stray dogs,’ he said.

‘Last year, we had to delay training for about an hour because there was a stray dog tangled up in the nets in the goals. We actually had to cut the net and the dog ran away with half of it.’

Robertson has also had to tailor training sessions to suit the prayer times of the ‘six or seven religions’ followed by his squad, adding: ‘At 1.30pm on a Friday, that’s the big praying day for the Muslims, so sometimes we haven’t been sure what time slot we’d have for training and we’ve either had to miss it or even train later.’

He says all his players respect their separate religions and now pray together before training and games.

‘Nobody complains and everyone gets on with it,’ said Robertson. ‘That was a huge part of our success — the team spirit and chemistry.

‘Everyone respects each other with no issues.’

Four months travelling together to matches across india — including one tortuous 30-hour train journey — and regular hotel living helped galvanise an indomitable team spirit.

‘The grit and determination and the never-say-die attitude and togetherness are very similar to the Rangers team i played in,’ said Robertson.

‘We are maybe not the greatest team individually, but everyone fights for each other.’

Robertson’s talismanic

influence cannot be under stated judging by the plethora of Indian newspaper articles praising him. ‘Everything I know about football, I learned from him,’ said Real Kashmir defender amir Rehman. ‘It was a totally new experience — working on tactics, he changed the way the club was playing and we are playing like Europeans.’ Robertson credits a pre-season tour to scotland last summer — when they played the likes of stenhousemuir — as vital to his side’s progress and their development.

Robertson also hails the support of his assistant Jimmy Lindsay, the former albion Rovers boss and Motherwell winger, adding: ‘It’s been a huge help having a friend in a foreign country to get through the winters and the tough times.’

he has also relied on salutary lessons learned under managerial giants Ferguson and Walter smith.

Robertson’s next priority is a welcome summer break back home in scotland.

Of the prospect of managing again in his homeland, the 49-year-old said: ‘at some point, I’d like another go in scotland, but I think at the moment India seems to be good.’