With Andy Robertson’s glittering Anfield career officially drawing to a close in May, here is a look at the mark set to be left by one of the club’s greatest-ever full-backs.
I’m too old for heroes now. Turning 32 this month (incidentally, three weeks after the man himself), I fear the title bestowed upon my favourite Liverpool at any given point player might have to be retired in the summer.
The Jurgen Klopp side that conquered England, Europe and the planet continues to fragment in front of our eyes with each passing summer – a natural, inescapable consequence within the perpetual cycle of football.
An £8 million superstar
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 19, 2017: Liverpool's Andy Robertson during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
His wasn’t always the sexiest name, nor was he necessarily the one with the most God-given ability, but if anyone epitomised the collective spirit of the unrelenting Liverpool team of that period, it was Andy Robertson.
Robbo would be the first to admit all of that, too. His inherent self-deprecating nature charmed the Kop from minute one. The people’s champion. A relatable superstar.
From dismissing the notion of a fairytale to offering a young fan a signed Roberto Firmino top because “no-one wants the left back’s shirt”. This is a man possessing a level of self-awareness rarely found in someone swimming in such elite circles.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 15, 2021: Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp and Andrew Robertson after the UEFA Champions League Group B Matchday 1 game between Liverpool FC and AC Milan at Anfield. (Pic by Paul Currie/Propaganda)
Humility can often spill over into undue self-deprecation at a cost, but Robertson always moulded any doubts into a superpower that carried him to an eternal spot in the Anfield history books.
Alberto Moreno briefly stood between him and a regular starting berth at the beginning of his stint on Merseyside, but the magical mystery tour taking him 80 yards out of position at home to Man City in 2018 was – at least from a symbolic standpoint – the moment all of that changed.
On a personal level, I’m not sure I ever looked back from that. Above all else, you want to see a piece of yourself when watching a Liverpool player and there is a comforting, yet intangible affinity to be gleaned from the way the vice-skipper carries himself that you don’t get to feel too often.
The long goodbye
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Friday, March 6, 2026: Liverpool's Andy Robertson celebrates after scoring the first goal during the FA Cup 5th Round match between Liverpool FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at Molineux. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
In knowing from a distance out that the end was likely on its way, supporters have been able to make their peace with losing another club legend holding senior leadership status.
That’s not to say that there weren’t flirtations and risks of premature goodbyes. Atletico Madrid showed serious interest in the summer and Tottenham came close to prizing him away in January. Both offers got his attention.
It is, however, a story befitting grander circumstances from the closing chapter. On-pitch farewells aren’t as common or even straightforward to achieve as we might recognise and Robertson certainly wouldn’t have been the first of Klopp’s original “mentality monsters” to sneak out the back door.
Happy or trophy-laden on-pitch farewells are even harder to attain. Trent Alexander-Arnold sailed off into the sunset with the ultimate prize but even that parting of ways was acrimoniously soured.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 25, 2025: Liverpool's Conor Bradley, Andy Robertson, Harvey Elliott, Alisson Becker celebrate with the trophy after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Robertson bows out – in a sense unfortunately – with a Mohamed Salah-shaped shadow cast over him, having made his home debut in the same fixture as the Egyptian King against Crystal Palace back in 2017.
I struggled for months to shake off the cob-on I had with Salah for effectively declaring civil war with his destructive post-Leeds comments in December. It is much easier, though, to allow bygones to be bygones in celebrating the career of one of our very greatest and the outgoing No. 11 undoubtedly belongs in those very conversations.
At a time when player-supporter relations appear to be drifting in the wrong direction for the first time in several years, the left-back remains one of the most unanimously popular figures across the entire club for continuing to have our backs and carrying himself with grace.
It is easy to see the value in granting the wishes of a servant who has given us everything and allowing him to spend his twilight years on the field rather than the sidelines.
Similarly, there is much to be said for keeping that person around when their voice continues to carry so much weight in a dressing room otherwise lacking.
More big shoes to fill
DOHA, QATAR - Saturday, December 21, 2019: Liverpool's Andy Robertson kisss the trophy after the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 Final match between CR Flamengo and Liverpool FC at the Khalifa Stadium. Liverpool won 1-0 after extra time. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Some eyebrows were raised when Robertson was asked to replace his old mate as Virgil van Dijk’s deputy back in August, particularly given that the club had just put down £40 million to displace him.
I suspect part of the reason it took Liverpool supporters so long to warm to Milos Kerkez was in part down to the fact there was still so much love for the man who had occupied that spot for eight seasons.
There are many reasons to argue that the World Cup should not be taking place in the United States this summer. I have limited enthusiasm for international football at the best of times but the geopolitical landscape has once again made it difficult for many supporters to engage with what should be the sport’s ultimate spectacle.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 23, 2025: Liverpool's Andy Robertson celebrates after the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Southampton FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Simultaneously, how could anyone begrudge Robertson the opportunity to lead his nation into their first appearance at the showpiece in almost three decades? If they’ll have me, I’ll happily be an adopted Scot on that opening night against Haiti.
I haven’t donned a club jersey in two decades, let alone one with a player’s name emblazoned on the back. Were I to return to a time where I felt compelled to do so, I’d undoubtedly be sporting the number 26 with pride.
But I’m too old for heroes.
Curiously, there is a subsection of modern football fans who seem more preoccupied with what their favourite player is up to than their team. Liverpool will always do for me but I’ll gladly bore my grandkids about how Andy Robertson made me feel more like a footballer than anyone.
Thanks for the memories, Robbo.