In this exclusive interview on The Overlap, Ian Wright sits down with Andy Robertson and former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, one of the most influential figures in Robertson’s career. Having handed Robertson his Scotland debut, Strachan reflects on Andy’s early years and the determination that drove him from early rejection to becoming a two-time Premier League champion and Champions League winner with Liverpool. Robertson also opens up to Wrighty about his nine-year journey at Anfield, discussing Liverpool’s difficult season, how close he came to joining Spurs, and the relentless demands of playing under former manager Jürgen Klopp.
The conversation also turns to the heartbreaking loss of close friend and teammate Diogo Jota. We explore Robertson’s rise to the top and how every setback helped shape the player and leader he is today. Finally, Andy discusses the pride of captaining Scotland, what it would mean to lead his country out at the 2026 World Cup, and his ambitions for the tournament ahead.
00:00 Intro
08:55 Liverpool this season and Diogo Jota Passing
15:59 Gordon Strachan
30:15 Dundee United Breakthrough
31:14 Hull Move and Scotland Debut
39:12 Liverpool Interest and Klopp Call
48:19 Trent Departure
50:07 Chasing City
01:02:45 Scotland World Cup Dream
01:07:14 AR26 and Giving Back
Key Quotes:
Robertson reflects on his time at Liverpool…
‘It is an emotional time for me; the contract is coming to an end. I was a boy when I first came and now, I’m leaving as a man. It’s been nine incredible years, a club that means so much to me. I don’t think I could have written down a much better story to be honest. I will leave with a lot of pride and a smile on my face when I look back.’
Robertson‘s thoughts on leaving Liverpool at the end of the season…
‘I’m a player that still wants to play. I think for the club, it was clear that’s not going to happen. Moreover, the club have to move on at a certain time, and all eras must come to an end. We already lost Trent last season, we’ve lost Henderson. I’ve been here for nine years and the time’s probably right for everyone to go. It’s been an unbelievable nine years, and let’s see what’s next.’
Robertson discusses how Jota’s death has affected the team this season …
‘I think what happened in the summer, nobody can prepare for what we had to go through. After the highs of the end of last season, the first time me seeing the lads after the trophy days, we were on a plane to one of our mates’ funerals. I don’t want this being used as an excuse, but for the lads, it’s been tough. We’re only human beings at the end of the day. I think for the world of football it was tough enough, but for us it’s one of our best mates.’
Robertson’s thoughts on Liverpool’s performances this season…
‘We get off to a good start, but we weren’t playing well. It was probably a bit of a false position, but we knew then our performances had to lift, and for whatever reason, we’ve just not been consistent this season. Especially for the experienced lads, it’s been a disappointment. There’s no hiding away from that. It’s not what we’ve expected. From a high of last season, we wanted then to go and push on, and we’ve not done that. We all have to look at ourselves for that. It’s been a disappointing season. There’s no buttering it up. We expected a lot more from this season. It has been frustrating, but we’ll see what the future holds for Liverpool. I think now we’ve had this season, it’s important that we get Champions League football. That’s a must. I hope that then next season they can rebuild, and hopefully then the performance levels can lift again, and they can be back to competing, because that’s where they have to be.’
Robertson’s thoughts on who his best coach was that helped him as a player…
‘The big one for me was Klopp. He took me to be in the conversation of being potentially the world’s best left back at that time. I don’t think I would have ever got to that level without him because he was on it with me and Trent all the time. He was a father figure every single day in training. He took both of us under his wing and tried to get the best out of both of us. I think then that partnership just flourished. We’ve got a lot to be grateful for.’
Roberson’s thoughts on being let go from Celtic at 15…
‘I think when you get to 15, it’s difficult because you’re not in a position to make the decisions. You’re still only a kid and I always felt that. When Queen’s Park first called me, I was at Celtic who are one of the two biggest clubs in Scotland then getting a phone call from League Two at that time. I went there for a week during the summer, and I just fell in love with the coaches and the training, and I thought I can see myself here. I thought if I do well in the next couple of years, that’s my way into first-team football.’
Robertson discusses if size was a problem when he was young…
‘I used to play in centre-mid, but I could also play left-back. The size was a problem because in Scotland, when you were playing for the under-15s, you could then go straight to under-17s. You’re all of a sudden playing a two-year gap, which at that time I probably wasn’t ready to do. That’s why Queen’s Park was probably perfect as well. The first season I wasn’t great and then the second season, that’s when I really started kicking on and probably took over certain people that were above me.’
Robertson on what he earned when he was playing for Queen Park…
‘I was on 18 pounds a week. I think we know we can’t live off that. That’s for sure.’
Roberston discusses his options after Dundee United…
‘Roberto Martinez tried to sign me for Everton. He came up and watched me. The story could have been very different. That never happened and then, in the summer I knew I would have options, but I wasn’t ready to leave Dundee United. I was 19, but I’d only had one year as a pro.’
Robertson discusses how he thought he played when he first started at Liverpool…
‘I was gutted that I had missed out on pre-season. For the first couple of months I struggled, in terms of my mindset of trying to turn it on that these are my teammates and not my opposition. I was trying to feel where I belonged in the squad.’
Robertson on Tottenham’s interest…
‘Tottenham was close in January. I am not going to deny that. It was a serious consideration, but it didn’t happen.’
My Best Coach is brought to you by Gillette – to watch the full podcast episode with Ian Wright and Andy Robertson visit: https://youtu.be/f7PFmFcwKmU
