Liverpool hero Andy Robertson has opened up on the pressure of being Scotland captain.
The Champions League winner was elected captain during Alex McLeish’s stint as manager and has been a brilliant choice thus far. Every time he plays, you can tell Robertson is just that bit better than his peers.
Now he has opened up on the not so glamorous side of being a captain, saying that you need to be ‘thick-skinned’ to operate in the role.
He told the Scotland YouTube site: “There is extra pressure in terms of some things fall on your shoulders that wouldn’t if you weren’t.
“I think all footballers are quite thick-skinned that they have to deal with this stuff and I’m no different to the rest.”
Robertson faces different pressure at Liverpool compared to Scotland
There are a couple of big differences between Robertson at Scotland and Robertson at Liverpool. At Anfield, he is expected to get up and down the left hand side and get crosses into the box.
Under Steve Clarke and the national side, whilst he is still expected to do that, the full-back is expected to turn in a more defensive performance as they’ll be under a bit more attacking scrutiny. This is especially the case in games against the likes of Belgium.
Another big difference is the expectation levels for Robertson personally. With Scotland, he is very much the star man, the guy fans look to for inspiration.
At Liverpool he is just another piece in the jigsaw. His work overall contributes to one big finished product, which usually results in a stellar Liverpool display.
There’s a lot more emphasis on Robertson to turn in an individually brilliant performance with the national team compared to when he’s in Merseyside.
The likes of Mo Salah will bail him out at club level perhaps, but on the international scene, there’s nowhere to hide as he is the main man.
Perhaps this is the added pressure that falls at Robertson’s doorstep on the international scene.