Andy Robertson defined an era at Liverpool and his Legacy is untouchable
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As the Scot calls time on his career at Anfield after nine incredible seasons, this article will explore why Andy Robertson is a modern Liverpool great and the challenge that will follow of filling such a massive void.Liverpool’s bargain of the centuryThe groundbreaking summer transfer window in 2017 undoubtedly set the precedent for the current state of footballing transfers.Brazilian superstar Neymar swapped Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee worth £200 million, which remains to this day.In addition, French youngsters Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele left Monaco and Dortmund, respectively, for three-figure sums.Closer to home, Pep Guardiola was establishing his future dynasty at Manchester City, and their local rivals, United, made Romelu Lukaku their new No. 9 for big money.Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion - Premier League | Alex Livesey - Danehouse/GettyImagesYou would be excused for failing to bat an eyelid when Liverpool took an £8 million punt on a Scottish left back from recently relegated Hull City.That left back went onto win every major honour available, including two Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph, having participated in three finals, the latter being more than the four players aforementioned.
To ascribe Andy Robertson as Liverpool’s bargain of the century would be a significant understatement.An undying passion matched only by the KopAfter a slow start to life at Anfield, an injury to Alberto Moreno in December 2017 paved an opportunity for Robertson, and he certainly took it.As Jurgen Klopp’s side began to slowly shift gears under his ‘gegenpressing’ style of play, the Scotsman suddenly found himself at the forefront.During their epic 4-3 victory over Man City in January 2018, Robertson was seen sprinting some 70 yards to apply pressure on five separate players when the Reds already boasted a three goal advantage.Aston Villa v Liverpool FC - Premier League | John Powell/GettyImagesA ‘heart-on-his-sleeve’ type of player, Robertson perfectly embodied the culture that Klopp was building at Liverpool, but even the German would have struggled to predict just how important he would become.Despite being only 23 at the time, just four years prior, Robertson was playing for amateur side Queen’s Park, and he made his feelings about non-professional football quite clear on social media.It meant that the left back already had a measured head on his young shoulders, and this propelled him to quickly achieving senior status at Liverpool.Record-breaking fullback dynastyWith Klopp instructing the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to operate as inverted forwards, the responsibility fell upon Liverpool’s fullbacks to provide width going forward.Step forward, Andy Robertson and his partner in crime, Trent Alexander-Arnold.While both were more than capable of providing the expert cross to create a goalscoring opportunity, Robertson thrived on the touchline.Liverpool FC v Crystal Palace FC - Premier League | Liverpool FC/GettyImagesHe was unafraid to take on his man and would often carry the ball all the way to the touchline to provide the killer pass.The relentless fullback duo have created 124 Premier League assists between them, and both occupy the top two spots for assists by Premier League defenders, with Robertson only four shy of his counterpart.At his best, the left back was the complete fullback, adept going forward but also a brilliant 1v1 defender and a relentless stamina to top it all off.Heart of a lionA regular in the Scotland national team, Robertson was named Scotland captain in 2019, a testament to his character both on and off the pitch.He is both a fierce competitor and a top professional, always willing to offer an arm around a teammate’s shoulder but the first to berate them when failing to track back.Alongside Jordan Henderson and James Milner, Robertson was a brilliant role model for Liverpool players to look up to, and has assumed vice-captaincy following Alexander-Arnold’s departure.Unafraid to leave his emotions out on the pitch, Robertson provided a touching tribute last November to his late teammate Diogo Jota, after he captained his side to their first World Cup finals since 1998.He spoke of their time at Liverpool, particularly when Jota missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar through injury and how they would look forward to the upcoming finals.And of course, as with every Liverpool legend, he has a brilliant chant that will be bellowed that much louder over the remainder of the season.Farewell, RobboWith all of his experience at the top level, it’s perhaps no surprise that Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks to sign Robertson this summer.The Glasgow-born left-back really has seen it all, from playing at amateur level and relegation with Hull City, to the major highs of breaking Liverpool’s 30-year title drought.Robertson’s departure, alongside fellow great Salah, reinforces a changing of the guard once again, with only Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Joe Gomez remaining from their Champions League triumph in Madrid.Liverpool v Fulham - Premier League | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/GettyImagesHis successor in Milos Kerkez, and the rest of his Liverpool teammates have a lot to live up to as they hope to one day repeat his success.They will fail just as much as they succeed, but if they have a mindset akin to Andrew Robertson, the future Reds are much more likely to achieve the latter.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow