A ndy Robertson may not be Scotland’s greatest player, but he is indisputably their finest captain. It counts as sacrilege, even to generations who have watched Kenny Dalglish only on YouTube, to reputationally place Robertson above the Liverpool hero on the basis of a cap haul that will reach 103 in St Gallen on Monday. Dalglish’s international career ended at 102 and the curious events that meant he missed the 1986 World Cup.
There is no requirement to compare a left-back in 2026 to a forward from decades earlier. Dalglish and Robertson are men in different positions in essentially a different sport. Instead, Robertson’s march to the top of the cap pile gives cause to laud his contribution.
Those within the Scotland setup regard Robertson as the glue who holds the scene together, a decorated footballer who treats everybody the same and carries out an abundance of unseen work to make this team better. Robertson has routinely paid for squad nights from his own pocket. The 32-year-old is as dedicated to overall environment as he is to his craft. Under Robertson’s on-field guidance, Scotland have morphed from international also-rans to serial tournament participants.
Left-backs are rarely the recipients of praise. When of the status of Robertson they do, however, receive criticism when a team struggle. He has carried the heaviest load while probably unable to celebrate the highs in an appropriate manner.
Robertson’s journey sets him apart and not only from Dalglish. By March 2014, when Robertson made his debut as a 67th-minute substitute in a friendly in Warsaw, he had been rejected by Celtic’s youth system, reset his career at Queen’s Park and turned heads in Dundee United colours. Hull would come next.
“He counts as one of my best-ever signings,” says Steve Bruce, who took Robertson to Humberside. “I still remember him holding his parents’ hands when he came down.
“He could run like the wind and had such a lovely left foot. We wanted to try and sign the best young players and thought he might get a few games due to injuries but Andy went into the side and never came out, which is testament to him. I’m absolutely delighted for him.”
Robertson and Phil Bardsley replaced Alan Hutton and Barry Bannan in Poland. “He was a young boy who played with so much freedom,” Hutton says. “He had energy and aggression to go up and down the pitch all day long, he would shell crosses into the box at 100mph. For one so young, he was also amazingly good at 1 v 1 defending. I got to 50 caps. I remember thinking there would be no chance of anybody reaching 100.”
Alex McLeish, who handed Robertson the Scotland captaincy in 2018, jokes about the possible impact on Dalglish. “Kenny will want to make a comeback,” he says. “No, he will be absolutely delighted for Andy. It tells you so much about Andy’s character that someone like Kenny Dalglish is so fond of him.
“It felt to me like a new era. We were rebuilding and Andy seemed to make the most sense as being at the forefront of that. I’m pretty sure anyone else would have made the same decision. A fantastic player with a great attitude and very well liked by all his teammates. He was a natural captain. He demands high levels without being someone to blast people. He is a hard bugger; if he talks, people shut up and listen.
“When I told him [he was captain], I still remember how his eyes lit up. He loved hearing that. He gave me such a great big smile and said how honoured he would be to captain the country.”
McLeish underplays the value of his decision. Robertson has worn the armband 80 times. McLeish could easily, for example, have handed it to Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor or John McGinn. McLeish’s faith in Robertson and convincing of Scott McTominay to commit to Scotland were huge and lasting contributions.
Robertson’s career could easily have followed an alternative path. The Scottish game is laced with players released by major clubs who spend years lurching about in its nether regions. Blair Spittal, who played with Robertson at Queen’s Park and Dundee United, believes there may be a broader lesson here.
“I’m not saying every player could do the same as Andy but within the pyramid of Scottish football there are definitely players who just need an opportunity and someone to show then belief,” he says. “Queen’s Park at the time was a great environment for that. We were then very lucky at Dundee United to have a manager [Jackie McNamara] who believed in young players. Andy took everything in his stride. Nothing ever fazed him.”
He has made instant impressions everywhere. John Rankin was a senior player at Dundee United as Robertson elevated his reputation. He recalls a pre-season friendly at Union Berlin, when he first clapped eyes on someone who would be a Champions League winner within six years. “Who is this?” Rankin said while watching from the stand. “On his first day at the training ground, Andy bypassed the first-team dressing room to get changed with the youth team. He was so unassuming, no entitlement about him at all.
“He knew what he wanted to do. On the pitch it was a case of: ‘Get out my road, I’m coming through.’ Off the pitch he was such a humble guy, who knew his life was built on the hard work of his parents. He had hunger to be the best player in every single session. It was never about being flash, it was about working his way to the top.”
During a game at Motherwell, with United 3-0 up, Rankin warned teammates to remain compact. Next came a marauding Robertson, who cracked home a fourth before Rankin chastised him for not following orders. “But I scored, didn’t I?” came the retort.
Jordan Henderson and James Milner have been hugely influential in shaping how Robertson deals with others. Robertson did not want Steve Clarke to call time on his Scotland managerial career in June, but during an emotional meeting in Charlotte it was clear the latter’s mind was made up. Clarke would not have returned to Hampden Park four months later, but for Robertson, who was receiving recognition for 100 caps.
It is fortunate Dalglish is not protective of his record. McGinn entered this international break with 93 caps. Ryan Christie and Scott McTominay have an outside chance of reaching 102. Billy Gilmour is 25, but hit 50 caps in October.
“It’s not about now holding on to the record for ever,” says Robertson. “That’s not really me.”
Modesty. A consistent and endearing Robertson trait. Whenever this international career for the ages ends, he will be a monumental loss.
