Robertson says he often thinks about the game in Scotland and whether young kids today are getting the kind of opportunities he got. “We talk about that – my story, John McGinn’s story, Ryan Christie’s story,” Robertson said.

“There’ll be a hundred people going, ‘I could have been that’. Football has a lot to do with ability and mentality, but also you need a little bit of luck as well.

“It’s about trying to protect the 15, 16, 17-year-olds just now and we all have a duty to help with that. We always want the young players to come in and I just love their energy, I love how excited they are. Findlay Curtis just bounces about all the time.

“These are the kids that are going to bring the country forward. They’re all sitting at the other end of the table playing games we don’t even know about but it’s great for us to sit back and go, ‘OK, we’re part of this squad, but when we leave, then hopefully Scotland will be in a good place.”

To Friday, then. A record-equaller but, to Robertson, this is no nostalgia trip. This is a game Scotland desperately want – and need – to win.

He says they were a yard off it in all areas last time out against Slovenia. “Unacceptable,” he recalled. “We didn’t give our fans anything to shout about.”

He departs with fighting words about the desire within the squad to make amends. Out the door, down the corridor and onwards into history. Seconds later, he returns. “Forgot my washbag,” he laughed. “Bet Kenny didn’t have one of these!”

Glasgow, Liverpool, Scotland – the ties that bind.



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