Andy Robertson arrived at Liverpool in 2017 as a left-field signing from Hull City (literally and figuratively), and he bade farwell to Anfield last Sunday as a genuine modern-day legend.
Just like they did with Gini Wijnaldum and Newcastle a year previously, the Reds took advantage of the Tigers’ relegation from the Premier League by snapping up the Scottish left-back for an initial outlay of £8m. Even with add-ons included, the overall deal amounted to a paltry £10m (BBC Sport).
Nine years, 378 appearances and nine trophies later, it’d be quite the understatement to proclaim that the Merseysiders reaped maximum return for minimal outlay, and you can do the same with Fishin Frenzy at Virgin Games.
Robertson made himself undroppable for Liverpool
It’s staggering to think now that Robertson wasn’t an automatic selection for Liverpool in his first season at the club. Until December, he had to bide his time behind Alberto Moreno before injury to the Spaniard gave the former Hull defender his opportunity – and he never looked back.
His relentless pressing in the epic 4-3 win over Manchester City in January 2018 told the world what he was about – full-blooded commitment and desire, and no little quality to go alongside it.
(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
By the time the Reds made it to the Champions League final that year, the Scotland international had the left-back berth well and truly nailed down. Fast forward another 12 months, and he was a European champion while Moreno moved on from Anfield.
Robertson gave Liverpool fans so many great moments
Robertson’s adoration from the Kop grew even further in the opening minutes of the legendary 4-0 triumph over Barcelona in 2019, ruffling Lionel Messi’s hair whilst the Argentine sat on the ground, sending a clear message that Liverpool were here to create history and not to meekly surrender to their illustrious opponents.
Kostas Tsimikas arrived as the Scot’s understudy the following year, but aside from occasional rotation from Jurgen Klopp, the pecking order was quite apparent.
The Reds’ number 26 gave us another memorable glimpse into his elite mentality during the famous 5-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2021 when, just after Liverpool scored their fifth early in the second half, he roared at his teammates to ‘keep going’ and ‘be ruthless’.
In the latter part of his Anfield career, Robertson had some sporadic off-days, none more so than the 2-2 draw at home to Fulham in December 2024 when he was culpable for an early Andreas Pereira goal and then sent off after just 17 minutes.
Robertson bows out as a genuine Liverpool legend
The Scotland captain saw his game-time reduced significantly in what turned out to be his final campaign with LFC as Arne Slot frequently preferred new signing Milos Kerkez at left-back.
However, that change in status did nothing to discolour Liverpool fans’ affection for the 32-year-old, who – along with Mo Salah – was rightly given a raucous send-off at Anfield after the season-ending 1-1 draw against Brentford last Sunday.
The Reds have enjoyed their share of bargain transfers over the years, but rarely (if ever) have they gotten so much bang for their buck with the £8m capture of Robertson in 2017. What felt like a cut-price fee at the time has gone on to seem like daylight robbery, considering the impact that the legendary Scotsman would have for LFC.