As soon as the final whistle sounded at Stamford Bridge and defeated Chelsea Manchester City, Liverpool was crowned champion for the first time in 30 years.
The unsung hero Andy Robertson then immediately appeared on LFCTV via a zoom call – he praised the mentality of Jürgen Klopp’s incredible squad and warned her to be ready to take on the challenge of dominating for years to come.
It is easy to understand why the Scottish left-back is so desperate to hold onto this feeling of victory.
After all, this was the same Robertson, 26, who moaned at the start of the Queen’s Park game that life was “garbage” and that he lived on an apprenticeship wage in his home.
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But his steady rise, moving to Dundee United, winning the SPFA Young Player of the Year, and entering the international roster in his first season showed his hunger and desire.
Now he is one of the first names on the Liverpool team sheet, famous for his daring runs and precise crosses, as well as for keeping wingers at bay.
And few could have predicted that after his first day of training with the new Premier League champion in 2017, Robertson would become one of the best left-backs in the world. Here is his epic rise.
MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH
Robertson was born a Celtic fan in Glasgow and was introduced to football by his father Brian, who played at an amateur level. However, he was held back by a spinal injury that meant he had to wear a back support.
Former footballers, including Charlie Nicholas and Jim Duffy, were friends of the family, and he heard stories about their own football heritage that spurred him to create his own.
However, this seemed far away after he was released by Celtic at the age of 15 because he was classified as too small.
He focused on his studies and left St. Ninian High School in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, with enough grades to be admitted to the university for a bachelor’s degree.
Robertson was in the Queen’s Park books and just when he thought he should take a more academic path, he was given his first team debut.
In a remarkable first season with the Scottish third division side, he made 43 appearances in all competitions, but still life wasn’t just rosy.
‘NEED A JOB’
Despite the upswing in his football career, Robertson was still firmly convinced that he had to find a job.
Now that he earned £ 2.6m annually in Anfield, he had financial problems in 2012.
And at 18, if you have the youth on your side and want to do anything and everything, he couldn’t help but moan about a lack of funds to throw away.
He went to Twitter and wrote, “Life at this age is garbage without money #needajob.”
The Scotsman had only paid his travel expenses from Queen’s Park.
He later had to take a job at the ticket office at Marks and Spencer in Glasgow and also worked for the Scottish FA in Hampden Park.
He once showed Vincent City’s former skipper, Vincent Kompany, where to sit.
“I took Vincent Kompany to his seat once,” Robertson told the Guardian.
“Scotland played Belgium and I was told to show it [the injured] Kompany to his place and give him a program. “
Robertson even worked in M & S’s lingerie department.
He said: “I was at the checkout at M & S. My buddies got discounts on Percy Pigs and were thrilled. I was only 17, 18 years old.
“I actually worked a few layers on women’s underwear. The staff was scarce and I was thrown up there. You just talk s ** t and hopefully they buy it. “
An impressive season later in Scotland’s third division, Scottish Premier Dundee United signed him.
There was no longer a need for a job, this was his calling.
A SEASONAL MIRACLE
The young perspective began to thrive under the watchful eye of manager Jackie McNamara, who had a firm back at Robertson’s youth club Celtic during his time.
His boss, who implicitly trusted him, immediately pushed him into the first team.
And he rewarded that belief with a stunning goal against Motherwell within months of his arrival – he ran away from his own half before sending his magical left foot down 20 yards.
Robertson was again a regular on the first team. He played 44 games in all competitions, scored five goals and became a fan favorite.
He was named SPFA Young Player of the Year in 2014 and recognized in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.
Robertson also made an international debut in a friendly against Poland by manager Gordon Strachan.
Afterwards Strachan purred: “Andy got there and when he picked it up for the first time he drove about 30 meters.
“I thought it was fantastic. Absolutely no gray area, I’ll do what I do. I loved seeing that first touch. “
To England and the existence of a billionaire
In the summer of 2014, Dundee United accepted a £ 2.85 million offer from Premier League team Hull City for their star defender.
Ironically, Hulls chief scout Stan Ternent, as fate would have it, checked another player before being impressed by Robertson.
Ternent revealed, “I had watched Stuart Armstrong (now in Southampton) but (Robertson) was a breeze … he had a Celtic story and he was always a determined boy considering how he recovered from his setbacks.
“You could see right away that he had skills and could only get better.”
Robertson quickly settled in East Riding and won the club’s Player of the Month award in his first month.
He played 24 games in his first season, but could not save them from relegation.
Other players jumped on the ship, but felt loyal to their employers. Robertson stayed with Hull in the championship and helped them return to the Premier League in 2016.
‘SICK BOY’
In search of cover for Alberto Moreno, Liverpool signed Robertson in 2017 for an entry fee of £ 8m.
If you switched to a team with such an international pedigree, you could have forgiven the newcomer for feeling overwhelmed and nervous.
And unfortunately for Robertson, it didn’t help that he threw up in front of his new teammates in his first training session – and earned a flattering nickname with Klopp.
“I remember the first day when only six or seven of us were there because the boys were in the preseason,” said Robertson.
“We had to do this lactate test, which the Germans love, where you have to run as much as possible.
“You put poles all over the field and you have to make each pole on the whistle.
“It is getting faster and faster. It is similar to the beep test, but is much more difficult and faster.
“I remember walking alongside Danny Ings and just being sick everywhere. I tried to hold it, but I had to let it go and it was terrible. Day one.
“Fortunately, the gaffer wasn’t there and I thought I could have gotten away with it.
“They were back three days later and he called me Mr. Sick Boy. I was gutted. “
This article was originally published by The Sun and reproduced with permission.
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