Feature'What he has done at LFC is legendary' - teammates, rivals and friends salute Andy Robertson
As Andy Robertson bids farewell to Liverpool, reflect on his remarkable impact on the club through the words of those who played with him, against him or admired him.
Sunday’s Premier League season finale against Brentford at Anfield will bring the curtain down on the left-back’s brilliant nine years with the Reds.
A bundle of energy and talent, Robertson has won almost everything – including the Champions League and two Premier League titles – while racking up almost 400 appearances.
Below is a selection of tributes to the Scot and the journey he has experienced since arriving from Hull City back in 2017…
---
Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool captain
“Playing with Robbo for all those years, having him on my left-hand side, it was absolutely a joy to have his mentality, his drive, his energy, his quality on and off the ball, his assist [total] speaks for itself. It was an amazing time and something that I will never, ever forget and will always be grateful for, because he’s been a big part of my success. And I can say, obviously, I’ve been a big part of his success. It has been an absolute joy to have him in the team.”
---
Alisson Becker, Liverpool goalkeeper
“I think Robbo understood what it means to play for Liverpool, what it means to wear the shirt. So every time he went to the pitch, the shirt I think became his skin and he gave always his all for everyone.”
---
Arne Slot, Liverpool head coach
“He had many great seasons here as a player, but I think people got to know him as a great person as well. I got to know him as a great person. I think every teammate of his will tell you how funny he is and how great of a person he is. What I remember most about him probably is the intensity he’s always playing with. I can also remember Robbo making a press from the left full-back position to the right wing a few years ago. I showed that to my players I was working with back then. [He] won everything over here, served this club for so many years, really loves this club and it’s been a great nine years for him at the club.”
---
Sir Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool and Scotland icon, speaking in 2018
“You only need to come to a game to sense the respect the punters have for him. They really enjoy watching Andy and he has his own chant, which I know means a lot to him. Andy’s a quality player. He has pace, his final ball is excellent and he plays with his heart on his sleeve. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to see him flying the flag for Scotland.”
---
Adam Lallana, former Liverpool teammate
“Robbo won’t mind me saying he’s not superstar status. He doesn’t want to live in that bracket. The real, real fans and football fans will see what he does and the effect he has on the team and the selfless four presses that he does to get the energy in the team. The best thing about the Liverpool fans is they value that. And they won’t ever forget that. And you see how often they sing his name and sing his name, and then they sing his name again. It is inspiring to see what he’s achieved, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
---
Jürgen Klopp, former Liverpool manager
“Having this career, having this wonderful family, it’s a dream, it’s an absolute dream, and one of the best examples. And I cannot imagine him having this career in a different club. He could have had it, but Liverpool is really special in this moment because they appreciate, we appreciate these kinds of things more than others. And that made the team the team we were and that made players the players they were and that made Robbo really the best version of a left-back.”
---
---
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool forward
“It’s been an honour to be your teammate and your friend. You’ve won it all and you leave as a legend.”
---
Daniel Sturridge, former Liverpool teammate
“I think Robbo is going to go down as another legend, a modern legend of the club. I know we’ve got so many legends at Liverpool but there’s always eras of players and times. I think we’ll look back in 10 or 15 years and go, ‘Andy Robertson, what a player he was.’ What Robbo has done at this football club is legendary.”
---
Opposition manager Jose Mourinho, speaking in December 2018
“They are fast, they are intense, they are aggressive, they are physical. They play 200mph with the ball and without the ball. I am still tired just looking at Robertson, he makes 100-metre sprints per minute. Absolutely incredible.”
---
John McGinn, friend and Scotland teammate
“They have always had the link with Scottish players and successful ones, but Liverpool’s a working-class club, they can relate to Robbo’s journey, they can relate to hard work, sort of fighting against the odds at times and that’s the way he is as a player. But sometimes what gets forgotten is his quality. I think the mixture of those instantly made him a fan’s favourite, probably because at the time they’re looking at this player coming in, what was it, seven, eight million? They’re thinking, ‘This is going to be a back-up left-back.’ And he ends up one of the best left-backs Liverpool have ever had.”
---
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, former Liverpool teammate
“Robbo was one of those guys that just every single year became more assertive, more dominant. I think people around the league sort of realised how good he really is. It’s hard to ignore the numbers that he was putting up, with the assists. And he was just a massive part of that. He was almost a heartbeat. You don’t often have someone out at left-back necessarily that sort of drives the team on, but he managed to do that from there. People normally talk about the spine of the team, don’t they, and having a strong spine, and as much as we did have that, Robbo at left-back was just as important as anyone.”
---
---
Trent Alexander-Arnold, former Liverpool teammate
“Other things are equally as important as how good you are with the ball at your feet. Like his consistency, his relentlessness, his engine, his availability, and just the fact that you can depend on him in every situation. Then you add into that the things that he can do with the ball as well – his deliveries, his set-pieces. I think one of the most underrated qualities he’s got, and people kind of look past it, is his ability to drive with the ball, which is extremely hard. If I could take something from his game, I would take that. The way he can just carry the ball forward at a high pace is a very difficult thing to do, while maintaining control of the ball. So as a footballer he’s phenomenal and I think one of the best that I’ve played with by far.”
---
Sadio Mane, former Liverpool teammate
“We had great leaders, but for me, he is one of the leaders driving through this generation. Honestly, you can believe me. Whoever, you can ask the team how this guy is for this – he was really, really important in and out of the pitch.”
---
Jordan Henderson, former Liverpool captain
“I think Robbo will be right at the very top of Liverpool’s history when we look back at this period in time. Not only for what he did on the pitch and everything, I also felt he had a really good connection with the fans. And, yeah, just the way he was as a character, I think the fans really warmed to him. I think he’ll always have that. So I think he’ll be held in very, very high regard forever at Liverpool Football Club, for sure.”
---
Conor Bradley, Liverpool defender
“As a player, one of the best full-backs I’ve seen. He was incredible. He’s been so, so good for this football club and I think every time he’s gone out on that pitch he’s just given it his all and his all has always been enough. He has just been such a good player. And as a person, he means a lot. He’s a massive inspiration for me and I’ve learned so much from him. I just try to sort of follow in his footsteps in a way to the best I can.”
---
James Milner, former Liverpool teammate
“What a player, what a man. You came and conquered and did it all, showing your incredible character the whole time, in good times and bad. What you gave to the dressing room and the enjoyment you put into my journey at that incredible club can’t be put into words.”
---
Danny Rose, former England left-back, speaking in May 2020
“He looks like a freak of nature. I watch him and every game he gives the same commitment. His consistency, he’s just brilliant. He’s been the best left-back in England and maybe Europe for the last two or three years, easy.”
---
Fabio Aurelio, former Liverpool left-back
“I’ve seen a few great left-backs during my career – some very strong defensively, some much more offensive. But if you look at the whole full-back role, he is complete in defence, in attack, he can score goals, he has pace, he has stamina, he is aggressive. So, he has to be at the top of the list, you can’t say different than that. His numbers talk for themselves.”
---
Joe Gomez, Liverpool teammate
“I just want him to get all the plaudits he deserves – not just [for] the player he’s been but I think [for] the human he’s been over the last nine years consistently. The presence he’s been for all of us – in good times, in tough times – just what a person. I’m going to miss him a lot because he’s a big part of my life.”
---
Milos Kerkez, Liverpool teammate
“He really is a legend. Best player [Premier League left-back], I said it [before] and I also believe that. Because of what a player he is, how much energy he has, how much he is running and assisting and everything. It’s really unbelievable. He’s a really big player and did a lot of stuff for the club.”
---
- Watch a new LFC Original film charting Robertson’s Reds story – Robbo: My Liverpool – on All Red Video from May 28