Robertson’s Euros target

ANDY ROBERTSON is determined to follow his key part in Liverpool’s historic Premier League triumph by captaining Scotland to a first major tournament since 1998. The 26-year-old left-back has been celebrating after Jurgen Klopp’s side last week ended a 30-year wait for domestic dominance at Anfield. Robertson already has a Champions League winners’ medal and admits success with Steve Clarke’s national team is next on his hitlist. Scotland face Israel in a Euro 2020 play-off semi-final in

October, with a potential final against Norway or Serbia the following month. ‘That’s the one that I’m looking for now,’ said Robertson. ‘It’s a huge honour for me to wear that armband. If I was lucky enough to lead them out at a major tournament, it would be one of the biggest achievements I’ve managed. ‘It would be up there with the Premier League and Champions League trophies that I’ve won.’ Robertson was just four years old when Craig Brown’s Scotland took part in the World Cup in France. The subsequent two decades have been a long story of disappointment on the international scene. ‘I’ve played under fantastic Scotland captains like Darren Fletcher and Scott Brown and I know how much it hurt both of them not to play at a major tournament,’ Robertson told STV. ‘I don’t want to be in a similar position if my career comes to an end and I’ve still not managed it. We’ve got a chance this year to put it right. ‘We’ve got a play-off where, if we play to our best, I believe we can give it a hell of a go and qualify for the Euros.’ Meanwhile, Clarke insists he would love to accommodate both Robertson and Kieran Tierney in his Scotland team — but needs them in his squad first. How to get the best out of his two left-backs has long been a conundrum for the national team, with Tierney being moved into central defence or right-back on occasions. Clarke has never had both available to him since taking over last year, largely because of Arsenal star Tierney’s injury problems. ‘The first thing I’ve got to do is get both of them into the same squad,’ said the Scotland boss. ‘When I’ve got them both fit and well and active, then we’ll have a look to see if we can get them both into the team.’