Inside the fairytale journey of Scotland captain Robertson

Inside the fairytale journey of Scotland captain Robertson Image source, Getty ImagesByThomas DuncanBBC Sport ScotlandAt Scotland's training camp in Turkey before their crucial World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark in November, Andy Robertson turned into Claudia Winkleman. The captain had devised a 'Traitors' game for the squad to play, complete with blackboards and mini shields. The chosen ones had to report to his room each night to elect who they were going to 'kill'. A week-long quest to find the Traitors ensued, as the players got involved in challenges and capers in the build-up to two of the biggest games of their lives. It was Robertson's way of bringing the team together and injecting some fun amid the pressure. It is a small but significant example of the 32-year-old's influence. As a player, team-mate and captain, 'Robbo' has made an indelible mark with this group of Scotland players. And his journey from working at the Hampden ticket office to captaining Scotland to their first men's World Cup in 28 years makes him a national icon. Robertson's value to Liverpool has been lauded over the last fortnight as he said goodbye to Anfield at the end of his nine-year spell. From a raw attacking full-back who - in Jurgen Klopp's view - could not defend when he arrived from Hull City in 2017, Robertson became one of the world's best. Alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, Robertson set new assist records in the Premier League as part of Klopp's ferocious team and ended his time at Liverpool with two Premier League titles and one Champions League. Some have labelled him as the club's greatest-ever left-back, which at a club like Liverpool tells its own story. For Scotland, Robertson's tale is different. His status at Anfield brought pressure on national team duty. A nation so starved of major tournaments was desperate for a star. Except left-backs are rarely the star. Just as Robertson famously wrote when sending a Liverpool fan a shirt of Roberto Firmino's after the youngster donated to a foodbank. "Because nobody wants the left-back's shirt," was his quip. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Andy Robertson twice won the Premier League with Liverpool Robertson at times had to withstand debate about his own position, with Kieran Tierney rivalling him for the left-back berth. At Hampden, the most common songs are odes to the goalscoring exploits of Scott McTominay and John McGinn. His Scotland career has not been about individual moments but sheer consistency of standards and presence, almost from the moment Gordon Strachan plucked him from the under-21s and gave him his debut in March 2014. In his 12-year international career, he has barely missed a game and rarely even comes off. Over his 93 caps - only Kenny Dalglish has more for Scotland - Robertson has averaged 84 minutes per game. His relentless runs, crossing and full-blooded tackling have been a staple. His ability speaks for itself, but his team-mates all speak of how much more he brings. "I've always just tried to give 100% and also tried to enjoy it," Robertson told Kelly Cates in a BBC Sport interview last month. "We know we're very lucky to do the best job in the world, in my opinion. So many little boys and girls have dreams of becoming footballers when they're younger. And 99% of them don't make it. "We're in the small percentage that are very lucky to go and achieve their dreams. And I think I've always carried that with me." Alex McLeish named Robertson as Scotland captain in September 2018 after the retirement of Celtic midfielder Scott Brown. At the time, he had earned just 22 caps but had established himself as Liverpool's left-back as they reached the Champions League final. It said a lot that he was the obvious choice at just 24. Now he has captained Scotland more than any other player. "He's just a very humble guy," James McFadden, an assistant coach with the national team at the time, said. "You would never know he plays for Liverpool, top of the league and in the Champions League final. He's a leader." Robertson's infectious personality and ability to relate to people is one of his defining traits. Scotland head coach Steve Clarke says he can be both "demanding" and "understanding" when the time is right. Napoli and Scotland midfielder McTominay agrees. "Top boy, Robbo," he told the Scottish FA in a recent documentary, external. "He's such a great captain and he's got that good balance between being one of the senior players and saying you need to wake up if you're not playing well. "Then he's also got the personable side, organising things with the manager, helping young players and stuff. He's brilliant with that, brilliant." Figure caption, You've done Liverpool and Scotland proud - Kenny Dalglish on Robertson's career There are examples everywhere of Robertson doing just that. He and other senior players decided the squad were not marking each other's successes enough. Now, players are pr

Inside the fairytale journey of Scotland captain Robertson

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