Andrew Robertson on Struggling for Petrol Money & How He's Made it at Liverpool

Exclusive - "We always do them in pre-season, pick one and we'll just do it," explains Andrew Robertson, chuckling as he recalls the recent videos he's made with close friend and teammate James Milner for Liverpool's YouTube channel. 


"When you're in the hotel for two weeks in the middle of nowhere, it's tough to try and find stuff that amuses you. We give our all in the videos and I think the people appreciate it."


The people certainly do. Whether it's deciding on the greatest Christmas movie (they picked Home Alone) or the best biscuit to dunk in a cup of tea (topped by a questionable custard creams shout), people watch these videos in their droves. Any small opportunity to see more of this group of Liverpool players, especially on a personal level, is hugely appreciated.


"You can have a bit of a laugh with biscuits," he continued, with that 11-minute clip sitting on around 980,000 views at time of publication. It's a reflection of just how connected this Liverpool fanbase are with their squad at present, with Robertson perhaps one of the most relatable given the story of his development and ascent to the top of the game.

A native Glaswegian, Robertson - speaking to exclusively to 90min as part of the forthcoming Copyright This series - admitted it's been easy to "feel the love" from the Merseyside locals since his arrival in July 2017.


"I've always had a good relationship with them. I think a lot of people relate Liverpool and Glasgow as quite similar cities, and I think I can relate to all our fans. I think that's what helps. The whole squad has got it right just now - I think this is probably one of the most loved ​Liverpool squads in a long time and it's great to be a part of it.


"When you're out on the streets, you feel the love from them. There's a lot going on in our squad that they can connect with. They see us a lot out of the light of football. To us, the videos may be daft, but to them, they see their players in different lights. I think they can look at the squad and go 'I know what Andy gets up to, or Millie, or Virgil [van Dijk] or whoever it is' and they can relate to the life. Maybe for some of them they think they can call us mates. You know, it's great.


"Now people just see that we're normal people and living a dream. I think a lot of people can see that."

Robertson's story has been well documented since his arrival at Liverpool, but remains remarkable nonetheless. Having applied for university - a PE teaching course - during his final year of sixth form, the now 25-year-old decided on taking a gap year in order to take a real swing at making it as a professional.


"I was at Queen's Park - an amateur team," he continued. "Every player who plays there works - I was just out of school and took a year out of education to really try and achieve my dream, as such. Luckily for me, my mum and dad backed me.

"I worked in Hampden, just selling corporate tickets for big events, concerts, cup finals and semi-finals. I worked in the kit room for a short spell as well - these were things you had to do.

"I didn't have any money, so I had to find it somehow. Luckily I had people who were understanding of my football situation and gave me the time off I needed to go and play games. I can't comment on anyone else, but I know that everything I do, and everything I get from this game now, I appreciate. 

"I know what it was like back then - struggling to put ten quid in your car for petrol and stuff like that. Me and my brother shared a car back then, and we used to go right down to the fuel line because none of us wanted to put it in! Me and my brother have always had a good relationship, but that nearly broke us as a family," he joked.


"We were both putting a fiver in there and the car was never getting filled up."

Living through those moments has meant Robertson has retained his focus and kept his feet on the ground - his is not a traditional story of a footballer of the present day after all. But he admits those are times he often reflects on.

"If ever I feel things are getting tough, I always look back at those moments and go 'you've come a long way' and your life is really good at the minute. Long may that continue, but that's what my determination is and that's what keeps me going. I love looking back on my story but I much prefer being in this profession than working nine till five every day."

Robertson's life in football has flicked through several quick chapters from the moment he joined Queen's Park. Signing with Dundee United in 2013, it wasn't long until that move south of the border came to fruition - around 13 months, in fact - as Hull City completed a deal worth £2.85m for the young full back.

He was presented, somewhat remarkably, looking back, to media alongside Harry Maguire ahead of the 2014/15 season. ​Maguire, of course, is also wearing a red shirt nowadays - even if it belongs to a club who sit 30 miles away from Robertson's Liverpool.

The now Scotland captain's move to Anfield was completed in 2017, though he revealed he was aware of Liverpool's interest months prior to completion.

​"I'd heard the season before," Robertson added. "When we just got promoted from the Championship, there were rumours about it. 


"Obviously I was straight on to my agent and asking if there was anything in it. There was contact, but they weren't ready. They wanted to see me for another season in the Premier League, and come the summer it started heating up a wee bit.


"I started getting excited, and it was probably the worst summer for my missus because I was always ready to fly home and get it done as quickly as I can! It kinda dragged its way out and I went back to Hull for pre-season, which I didn't expect. I was in the last year of my contract and I knew they wanted to sell me. As soon as the call came in to fly back, I was straight on the plane and I just couldn't wait to get it done. Those couple of days were quite surreal for me.


"The week before it, I was desperate to try and get it done. They'd put in the first bid, which was lower than what Hull wanted, and I was desperate because the lads were going to Hong Kong on their pre-season tour. I really wanted to go on it because I felt the quicker you get in, the quicker you can prove [yourself] to the manager.

"I was gutted that I'd missed it, so the first couple of days I'd trained on my own at Melwood and waited for them to come back. I couldn't wait, and just tried to get myself as fit as possible and ready for the challenge ahead."

Andy Robertson

While now considered by many as the best left back in world football, Robertson's initial transition to one of the planet's biggest and most successful clubs wasn't as smooth as he'd have liked - on the pitch at least.

Off it, it was a different story. The club's care and accommodation helped him settle quickly.

Robertson continued: "The first couple of months were tough for me in terms of playing, because I didn't play and I had to change my mentality. I still saw the players as opponents instead of teammates, and that's what I struggled with the most.

"But the moment I walked through Melwood's gates, the fans gave me a warm welcome - they've always been great with me. The staff couldn't be more helpful. You know, I had a baby within two weeks, and they managed to get me a house sorted ASAP and managed to sort me [with] everything. It was a stressful time as a family, but Liverpool is like a family and they definitely looked after me at that point.

"Signing for this club and knowing what the people can do, it was second to none. We were in the house and baby number one came."

Robertson had however only managed two Premier League appearances by the end of November in his first season, in home fixtures with Crystal Palace and Burnley. His next start came in a 5-1 away win at the Amex Stadium against Brighton, but he cites one particular win at Bournemouth in the approach to Christmas as the moment everything clicked.

That performance and a word of inspiration at the club's Christmas party did the trick.

"The first couple of games I played, my debut and stuff, I played quite well. But now I look back on it, I wasn't playing the way the manager wanted me to play, you know. The turning point for me, when I took a lot of confidence, was Bournemouth away just after [Alberto] Moreno got injured, and I started getting my chance.

"We had our Melwood Christmas party that night. I remember the gaffer coming up to me and saying 'I don't want to talk about football tonight, but you were excellent today', and that gave me the confidence. That's when I thought okay, I'm starting to do what he wants me to do. Over that Christmas period I think I really kicked on - I believed then that I was a Liverpool player.

FBL-ENG-PR-LIVERPOOL-WOLVES

"We're not daft - we know when we play well and I knew I had a good game that day. I think we won 4-0, so it was a comfortable day for all of us and I'd played well. But when he says that you take confidence from it, of course you do.

"I went on over Christmas period and played the derby in the FA Cup (a 2-1 win and Virgil van Dijk's match-winning debut), which I played well in. 

"Then obviously, the ​Man City game which we won and I did that press and stuff like that, that gets talked about all the time! That was a really good time for me and I think everyone at Liverpool started talking to me a lot more, and I did feel as if I belonged there then."

That moment certainly pleased his manager. Robertson played in all bar four of Liverpool's final 20 league games in that season, and featured in his first Champions League final in Kiev in May of 2018. Robertson makes no secret that his work rate has been at least part instilled by Jurgen Klopp, crediting him for playing such a role in his development.

"Some managers maybe put an act on for the cameras and are maybe different away from the cameras, but what you see is what you get with him. He bounces about the training ground, every day you get a hug off him when you walk in - yeah I'm a hugger, yeah! - but I think a lot of people say he's like the father figure in Melwood.


"Everyone can relate to that. You see Melwood more than your family sometimes, so it's always nice to have that person. He's fantastic and all his staff are fantastic. He always says going into games, if we're 99% we'll get beat, if we're 100% we'll win.

"He does life at 100%, in everything he does. I think now we all go off of him for it."


Andy Robertson is wearing Nike Next-Gen Vaporknit & Phantom Venom boots. Available at nike.com/football.


Part two will be available soon on 90min.com.


Source : 90min