Liverpool fans love nothing more than seeing a fellow Scouser do well for the club, and while Trent Alexander-Arnold ticks that box at right back, switch play to the left and there's a marauding Scotsman who the Anfield faithful have adopted as one of their own. Andy Robertson is a player with grit, determination and 100% effort built from humble beginnings; honest traits that epitomise the working class city he was born in, and the one he now works in.
Six years ago, Liverpool were creeping towards a first Premier League title as Andrew Robertson was completing his first season with Dundee United after joining from Scottish Third Division side Queen's Park, and while Liverpool's season ultimately ended with a runners-up medal there's no risk of that happening this time. That creeping from 2014 has turned into an unstoppable charge with as much purpose and power as one of Roberton's trademark runs into opposition territory.
As we step into the final chapter of this historic season we sit down with Robertson to talk about staying focused at the business end of the season, the importance and motivation of preserving that unbeaten record, and what he's learned from last season's physically and mentally testing campaign.
Andy, the new Premier League match ball is called ‘Tunnel Vision’, referencing the business end of the season. How do you think your mentality changes from the start of the season to now?
I think at the start of the season you’re just happy to be back and you obviously have dreams and ambitions of how the season is going to go, but at the end of the day nobody really knows. I think now, at this stage of the season for every club, they know what position they’re in, what they’re fighting for, and what their realistic aims are, so it does get to the nitty gritty part where your focus does change. Once Christmas is over everyone starts looking at fixtures and starts seeing how many points you’re on and how many points you can get and things like that, so for us it’s no different.
How do you think the relentlessness of the run in last year has affected the mentality of the squad this season?
I think up to this point it’s just been a matter of not being able to drop any points in any games. We can't drop points. Last season we drew at Old Trafford in March, and because we weren't at our best we took the draw and got out of there. But it shows that we had to win that game, because regardless of our points total, we lost the league by a point. That's the difference. Man City were just relentless last season and just kept on going and going, so did we, and luckily we’ve carried that into this season. Now we’ve got 12 games left and we need to have that same attitude and hopefully we achieve our dreams.
How does the manager create that balance of sharp focus and also a relaxed mentality at the same time?
It’s about getting that fine balance. We’re playing at the top end of football and it’s about having that focus and that determination to fulfil the dreams of so many, but it’s also about trying to enjoy it. It’s the best times of our lives and every day we come into work the boss and all the staff try to put a smile on our faces and try and make us enjoy it. But when it comes to focus and training we need to be at 100 percent, because as soon as we drop below that, that’s when standards start to drop.
On a match day, are there any other members of the staff or any other players that help the team get their focus?
I think everyone is so important, from the manager to all the other members of staff. Some members of staff are louder than others, and kind of get us going just before we go out, and others are just there to give small bits of advice or do treatment just before you go out, which is so crucial, and that’s why when we do win stuff that we say that it’s the team behind the team that deserve credit as well, because we’re the ones that go out and perform, but without them we’d be nothing. We create a family atmosphere in Melwood and everyone fights for each other and everyone looks after each other. That’s why when it comes to match day we’re all in it together.
With the TV schedule at the end of the season and the amount of games you’re playing, kick off times are all over the place. Mentally, is there a difference between a midday kick off and an evening kick off under the lights?
Yeah of course. Midday games are sometimes tough to get your head round, you’re eating chicken and pasta at quarter to nine in the morning, and it’s then about trying to get to the stadium, but then after it’s great because you can sit back and watch all the other teams play knowing that you’ve hopefully got the three points and you can enjoy your Saturday afternoon a bit. But night time games you wait around a bit longer, you go for a sleep during the day and the preparation’s a lot different. So for us that are on TV a lot, it’s about adapting to them; being able to adapt to anytime we’re playing and still giving the best performance that we can.
For you personally, how do you think your pre-match preparations have changed throughout your career, from your days at Queen’s Park to now?
No matter what level I’ve been at I’ve always tried to prepare for games in a similar way, and that’s why I probably found it a bit easier to adapt to different situations because usually my routine is always the same and I have always been professional. But when you’re playing in front of 300 people or potentially 300 million that are watching the game it’s a bit different. You need to make sure a bit more that you’re at 100 percent. As you get older and you play more games then you start realising what’s good for you and what isn’t good for you, and I’ve learned that over my time. In fairness, some of the stuff I used to do at Queen’s Park I still do today.
Such as?
Just pre-match routine and stuff like that. I don’t believe I’m a superstitious person, but I believe that my career has gone pretty well so far, so I’ve had no reason to change it. It’s small things, like I’ve never put headphones in my ears and stuff like that. Every lad has his own routine and every lad does things differently, but you find something that works for you and gets you 100 percent focused for the game ahead.
As a group of defenders, would going the Premier League season unbeaten mean a little bit more to you all?
Yeah, well everyone remembers that Arsenal side and how they did it and how they went about it, but for us it’s an aim, because we go into every single game believing that we’re going to win it, whether it’s cup competitions or whether it’s the league, we believe we can do it. We know how tough this league is though, and as long as we achieve the ultimate aim then we’ll be happy. But of course, to go unbeaten and to get more clean sheets, that would be something special, but it’s not something that’s in our sights just yet.
Knowing the manager as you do, say you wrap up the league early, do you think Jurgen would then put a lot of importance on going the whole season unbeaten?
If it does present itself then the manager is one of these guys that does everything at 100 percent, whether it’s coaching or playing football, he doesn’t hold back! He does things at 100 percent, so I can’t see any of our standards dropping. I hope that it does become a situation, because that means that the league is wrapped up, and if it does then the lads and the coaches, we’re all an honest bunch and I don’t think our standards will drop. If we are still unbeaten and we become champions then the aim will be to go the whole season.
In terms of winning the league, you’d take it however it comes, but is there a sense of how you’d like it to happen, whether it be at Goodison, the Etihad or at Anfield?
As long as the champions sign comes above our heads then I don’t think anyone can complain. You mention the stadiums, but if you told me there’s only one stadium in which you could win it, I’d want it to be at home with as many of your home fans in there. They support us far and wide, they’re the ones that deserve it, so if I was to pick a game then it would be any home game. But we’ve still got a long way to go and we need to keep going at the rate we’re going at, because we’re doing so well just now, and as long as we keep winning then it becomes less and less games where we need to win to become champions. Once we get to that point, I’d love for the game to be at Anfield. It would be a special occasion for everyone.
When it comes to the boots, what was the process of you choosing the Phantom VNM out of the four Nike models that there are?
For me it’s about which ones I feel most comfortable in. I’ve tried the most recent Tiempo, and back in the day I tried CTR’s and I think the PhantomVNM is very similar to those. This is the best boot I’ve had in a while and I just feel more comfortable in these with the shape of my foot and just the way I feel in them. I’ve tried the others, but for me these are definitely the best ones.
What about when Nike release a blue boot, is that difficult?
It is difficult, yeah. They decided to release the blue boot just in time for the Champions League final, which put a lot of us in a dilemma. But it’s part and parcel of it really. There’s different colours and they all come out, but I do like it when it’s more red than blue to be honest!
Are you at all precious about them in terms of how they’re laced, how they’re cleaned or anything like that?
I don’t like the laces being too long, so when I get them I cut them slightly just so they don’t overhang in games. I then clean them and look after them – I hate my boots being dirty, so I make sure they’re definitely clean going into games.
How far in advance do Nike send you a new colourway and how much would you train in them before you get ready for a match?
So we get them probably at the start of the week, and then we can wear them at the weekend. They usually probably send them out on the Monday or the Tuesday and if we’ve got a midweek game we probably can’t wear them until the weekend, because it’s usually a weekend launch. I always look forward to when new boots come out, new colours, they always look fresh.
How long does a pair typically last?
When you’re training everyday and you’ve got three games a week, they don’t last maybe as long as my boots used to last. Maybe a year when I was younger! But these are our tools, so I try to keep them in the best shape. If they do start to wear then I replace them quite quickly.
Are there any that you’ve kept over the years?
I think my mum and dad kept my first ever pair of boots. I think it was a tiny wee pair of Diadoras or something. Then I remember when I was younger at Celtic I got a personalised pair of Tiempos, it was green and white and it had my name on them, so I kept them. I was about twelve or thirteen I think. Other than that I’ve got my Champions League final boots, they’re stored away. I’ve got my play-off final boots, all boots that are important to me. I always get them personalised for finals. I always keep them for me or my family.
Liverpool will use the new Nike Merlin EPL 'Tunnel Vision' ball when they host West Ham an Anfield tonight. Shop the full collection at prodirectsoccer.com
