Andrew Robertson

1. Early Life and Youth Career

Andrew Henry Robertson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 11 March 1994. His father, Brian, nicknamed 'Pop', was a keen amateur footballer from the Maryhill area of Glasgow, specifically the Wyndford estate, where he was a childhood friend of footballers Jim Duffy and Charlie Nicholas. However, a spinal injury requiring a back brace prevented Brian from pursuing a professional career in the sport.

Robertson attended St Ninian's High School in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, from 2006 to 2012, where he notably captained the school football team. A talented athlete from a young age, he also demonstrated skill in golf, serving as the junior captain of his local golf club in Glasgow. He began his youth football career playing for Giffnock Soccer Centre before joining Celtic as a youth player. However, he was released by the club at under-15 level because he was deemed to be too small. This early setback tested his resolve, but he then signed for Queen's Park, an amateur club, marking the beginning of his senior career. During this period, he was on the brink of starting university and supported himself by working in a supermarket.

2. Club Career

Robertson's professional football journey saw a rapid rise through the Scottish and English leagues, culminating in his pivotal role at Liverpool.

2.3. Hull City

In July 2014, Dundee United accepted an offer of £2.85 M GBP from English Premier League club Hull City. The transfer was finalized on 29 July, with Robertson signing a three-year contract. Stan Ternent, Hull City's chief scout, praised Robertson's determination, stating that he had a history with Celtic and had recovered from previous setbacks, demonstrating immediate ability with potential for further improvement.

Robertson made his competitive debut for Hull City on the opening day of the season in a 1-0 away victory against Queens Park Rangers, where he made a crucial goal-line clearance. He quickly settled into the team, earning the club's Player of the Month award for August 2014. Despite making 24 appearances in his debut season at the KC Stadium, he could not prevent Hull City from being relegated to the EFL Championship.

Even with the departure of several other first-team players, Robertson chose to remain with Hull City. His first goal for the club came on 3 November 2015 against Brentford, opening the scoring in a 2-0 win that propelled Hull to the top of the Championship table on goal difference. He started in the 2016 Championship play-off final against Sheffield Wednesday, which Hull won 1-0, securing their promotion back to the Premier League. However, the team spent just one season in the top flight before being relegated again in the 2016-17 Premier League season. Notably, Robertson and fellow Hull defender Harry Maguire were recommended by Everton scout Steve Walsh for a combined £20.00 M GBP deal, but Everton declined the proposal.

2.4. Liverpool

Robertson's move to Liverpool marked a significant turning point in his career, propelling him to global recognition.

2.4.1. Rise to Prominence (2017-2019)

On 21 July 2017, Robertson signed a long-term deal with Liverpool for an initial fee of £8.00 M GBP. He made his debut on 19 August in a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, earning the Man of the Match award. Initially serving as an understudy to Alberto Moreno, Robertson gained a consistent run of games when Moreno was injured in December. His performance in Liverpool's 4-3 victory against league leaders Manchester City on 14 January 2018 earned widespread praise from supporters. He scored his first goal for the club on the final day of the 2017-18 Premier League season in a 4-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Robertson continued his strong form into the 2018-19 Premier League season, during which Liverpool finished as runners-up. In January 2019, he signed a new contract with the club, extending his stay until 2024. Throughout the 2018-19 Premier League season, Robertson recorded an impressive 11 assists. On 25 April, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year alongside his Liverpool teammates, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sadio Mané, and Virgil van Dijk. His 11 assists, combined with Alexander-Arnold's 12, made them the first pair of defenders from the same team to each register 10 or more assists in a single Premier League season.

On 1 June 2019, Robertson played the full 90 minutes of the Champions League final as Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur to secure their sixth European Cup. This achievement made him the first Scot to win the tournament since Paul Lambert in 1997, who was on the field for Borussia Dortmund's victory.

2.4.2. Premier League and European Success (2019-Present)

In Liverpool's first home game of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League campaign on 2 October 2019, Robertson scored his first European goal in a thrilling 4-3 victory against Red Bull Salzburg. On 2 November 2019, he scored his second Premier League goal for Liverpool, an 87th-minute equalizer against Aston Villa, which Liverpool eventually won 2-1 in stoppage time. During the 2019-20 domestic campaign, Robertson contributed two goals and 12 assists, helping Liverpool clinch their first Premier League title in 30 years. His consistent performance earned him another inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2019-20 Premier League season.

On 24 August 2021, Robertson signed another new long-term contract with Liverpool, further solidifying his commitment to the club. He earned a runner-up medal in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League, with Liverpool losing the final to Real Madrid, and was subsequently selected as part of the Team of the Season. That season, Liverpool narrowly missed out on a historic quadruple, finishing second in the Premier League and the Champions League, but successfully won both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.

During the 2022-23 season, Robertson made history by becoming the defender with the most assists in Premier League history, surpassing Leighton Baines' record. At the end of that season, Liverpool narrowly missed out on UEFA Champions League qualification. On 16 September 2023, with Virgil van Dijk suspended and Trent Alexander-Arnold injured, Robertson wore the captain's armband in a 3-1 comeback win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, marking his 200th Premier League appearance for Liverpool by scoring the Reds' second goal of the match, his ninth for the club. He scored his third Premier League goal of the 2023-24 season in a 4-2 win against Tottenham Hotspur on 5 May 2024.

3. International Career

Robertson has had a distinguished international career, progressing through the Scottish youth ranks to become a key player and captain for the senior national team.

He was first selected for the Scotland under-21 team in October 2013, making his debut as a substitute in a 2-1 win against Slovakia.

Robertson received his first call-up to the full Scotland squad for a friendly against Poland on 5 March 2014. He came on as a second-half substitute, contributing to Scotland's 1-0 victory in Warsaw. Scotland manager Gordon Strachan praised his immediate impact, stating, "Andy came on there and the first time he picked it up he drove about 30 yards. I thought 'that's fantastic'. Absolutely no grey area, I'm going to do what I do. I loved seeing that first touch." Robertson made his first start for the national team in a 2-2 draw with Nigeria on 28 May 2014. He scored his first international goal in a friendly against England at Celtic Park in November 2014, which Scotland lost 3-1.

On 3 September 2018, Robertson was appointed as Scotland captain by manager Alex McLeish. Following a 2-1 defeat against Israel in October 2018, Robertson acknowledged that both he and fellow left-back Kieran Tierney were playing out of position within the 3-5-2 system adopted by McLeish to accommodate both players. In a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Cyprus on 8 June 2019, Robertson scored the opening goal with a long-range strike, leading Scotland to a 2-1 victory. In November 2019, he was one of five Scotland players to withdraw from the national squad due to injury.

In November 2020, with Robertson as captain, Scotland qualified for UEFA Euro 2020 after a 5-4 penalty shootout win against Serbia, ending a 22-year absence from major tournaments since 1998. On 14 June 2021, Robertson captained Scotland in their Euro 2020 opener, where they were defeated 2-0 by the Czech Republic. Scotland was eliminated at the group stage after losses to the Czechs and Croatia, alongside a goalless draw with England.

In September 2021, Robertson earned his 50th cap, joining the Scottish FA International Roll of Honour. In his subsequent appearance, he led the team to a 1-0 away win over Austria. During this match, he was reunited with debutant substitute Paul McGinn, with whom he had last played almost nine years prior at Queen's Park. He had also previously been reunited with another former Queen's Park colleague, Lawrence Shankland, in 2019. In a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying game against Norway in Oslo, Scotland secured a 2-1 comeback victory with two late goals. Robertson was named man of the match, praised by Thomas Duncan of BBC Sport for being "composed at the back and brilliant at driving the team forward up the left."

On 7 June 2024, Robertson was named in Scotland's squad for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. On the same day, he surpassed George Young's record for the most capped male captain for the Scotland national team, earning his 49th cap as captain in a 2-2 friendly draw against Finland. A week later, he started in the opening match of Euro 2024, where Scotland lost 5-1 to hosts Germany. He went on to start against both Switzerland and Hungary, with Scotland finishing bottom of Group A with one point from three matches.

On 18 November 2024, Robertson scored a stoppage-time winner in a 2-1 away victory over Poland in the UEFA Nations League, ensuring Scotland avoided automatic relegation to League B and instead entered a relegation play-off after finishing third in their group.

4. Style of Play

Since joining Liverpool, Andrew Robertson has been widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in world football. His playing style is characterized by an exceptional work rate, remarkable stamina, tactical intelligence, and a potent crossing ability.

Former Liverpool left-back Fábio Aurélio lauded Robertson, highlighting his continuous improvement and proactive approach: "One thing that calls my attention is that he's always improving, he's not comfortable in his situation being first choice." Aurélio also praised Liverpool's full-backs, stating, "The two full-backs of Liverpool right now are unbelievable. We can contest in any kind of way." Robertson's relentless energy and speed were also commended by then-Manchester United manager José Mourinho in December 2018, after Liverpool's 3-1 win against his side, with Mourinho remarking, "I am still tired just looking at Robertson. He makes 100-metre sprints every minute, absolutely incredible, and these are qualities." This consistent praise from peers and managers underscores his impact and unique attributes as a modern full-back.

5. Personal Life and Philanthropy

Andrew Robertson is a practicing Roman Catholic. He is married to Rachel Roberts; they wed in the summer of 2022. Their son, Rocco, was born on 26 August 2017, and their daughter, Aria, was welcomed in January 2019. Robertson has Irish descent through his grandmother, who was born in Glenfarne.

Robertson is actively involved in charitable efforts. In March 2018, he donated a signed Roberto Firmino Liverpool shirt to a young boy who had given his pocket money to a local food bank. In March 2020, The Sunday Times reported that Robertson had made significant donations to food banks in the Glasgow area. In November 2020, he founded the AR26 Charity, an organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children in Scotland.

In September 2020, Robertson released his first memoir, Robbo: Now You're Gonna Believe Us, which primarily focuses on Liverpool's 2019-20 campaign. All proceeds from the book are directed towards his foundation, supporting its mission to assist young people in Scotland.

6. Career Statistics

7. Honours and Achievements