Andy Robertson: Losing Diogo Jota, Klopp’s Impact & World Cup Dream | My Best Coach EP 2

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2:27All three of us had a problem with size when we were young. I used to get a lot of... Speak for yourself. What was it? I was on 18 quid a week. 18 pounds a week? 18 pounds. So that's like... I think we know we can't live off that. But you get 20 % off of Marts and Spencer. I did have a discount. You've still got that discount. No, I've lost it. I'm in there a lot. I've lost it. As you can tell, I'm in there a lot. The coaches that you had then, they still gave you the love for the game because it can be quite disappointing then. Because most of us have got the knockback. I got it for Hibs when I was 15.

2:57It becomes disappointing, but if you get these great coaches in but make you love it, then they understand. Hull had put the bid in and it had been accepted. How much was it? 2.85 million, I think. And the chairman accepted it, and I remember seeing him in training that day, Stephen Thompson. And he was like, oh, you're going to Hull? And I was like, oh, I'm not sure. And he was like, no, you're going to Hull. And the World Cup. Any tickets? No. End for you, Gaffer. After nine years, you are going to be leaving Liverpool.

3:30That's my favourite part. Today, we are going to be interviewing the great Andy Robertson about who his best coach was, who helped him when he needed the help most. He's somebody, again, that I've got a lot of love for, a lot of time for. I'm really looking forward to this one. Him, like myself, he had a lot of problems when he was younger with his height. a little problem with, oh, you're too small, you're too small. Which feels like a really bad excuse for this. Not giving people a chance, especially when you've seen what he's gone on to achieve. Getting released from Celtic, going to Queen's Park, you know, semi-pro, working at M &S, wanting to maybe go back to university in that time when he hadn't signed pro yet.

4:16And the decisions he had to make and what he was going through at the time. And that tweet, remember that tweet he'd done about life's not something like, life's not fun, because he ain't got no money or something. So you want to talk about those times because he wants to play football, he wants to be a footballer, but he's running out of time. That's good, find it right. Very good. Smooth. Do you see a lot of similarities between yourself and Ian? I think we've got a lot of the same values. The way he speaks and things like that and the things he stands up for are a lot of things that, you know, I kind of believe in as well.

4:49And, yeah, from a career perspective in terms of our journeys are probably similar. The journey to the top was never easy, but we obviously both kind of got there in the end. A lot of people, they don't come back from it. So this is what I want to speak to them about, is why do you keep going? What kept you going, especially when you went to semi-pro with Queen's Park? When did it start happening where you thought to yourself, wow, it's starting to happen for me. I feel like people are noticing me. When you get let go as a kid, the last thing you're thinking about is winning the Champions League be one of the greatest football teams in the world with Liverpool and leading your country out in the World Cup.

5:27The journey, you don't know you're on the journey until you get to the success. That's the thing about it. I want to ask him about Trent as well and both of them being so successful at Liverpool together as friends like they say and then Trent announcing that he's going to leave and how he dealt with that from a friend's point of view but as a footballer as well knowing that you know what this is probably a great move for him. Well, that's another thing I want to ask him in respect of Liverpool and the decision that he's going to leave. Because obviously we've got all the stories about him going to Tottenham.

6:01You know, Andy's obviously on the outside of everything so is Fortwell. You know what I mean? Maybe it's time after nine years to move on and how difficult that was. Have you always been a good team? Yeah. I like the feel of it. I like the smoothness. Oh, I love that. Especially when I do my head. I save my head for special occasions. and then when you shave it, it just feels so nice. The World Cup, everybody loves seeing Scotland there. You know they're going to bring a lot of energy, Scotland, because no one fancies him, no one fancies him to do anything. So to see Scotland there, to see him leading Scotland out again, is going to be massive for him in respects of his career.

6:39He's 11 caps off of Kenny Dalglish, that's amazing. I'm one of these people that don't like looking too far ahead, so I've tried to kind of put it out of my mind as difficult as that's been, But yeah, I can't wait to just get over there now We need to find a hairdresser for starters over there I think Some of the boys take it a lot more seriously than what I do I won't name any names But yeah, a few of them take it to a whole new level But I think we all want to look good And especially on the biggest stage You always want to look your best I want to ask him about his charity as well He does a lot of work for charity in Glasgow And inspires people Once you inspire people, then you're a role model.

7:22Looks good for the first time, doesn't it? Done.

7:30Obviously, he's a great player. One of those people, when you speak to, looks you straight in the eye, tells you you know that you're getting the pure truth from him. It's an emotional time. Obviously, the contract's kind of coming to an end. I was a boy when I first came. I'm now leaving a man. It's been nine incredible years. It's a club that means so much to me. I don't think I could have written down a much better story to be honest with you I'll leave with a lot of pride and a big smile on my face when I look back on this time The Liverpool fans always show you a lot of love when you bump into them I couldn't speak highly enough of them They're a fantastic fan base I think he'll probably go down as easily one of the greatest left backs in the Premier League easily Top three I'm going to go top three I'd have loved to have played with Ian Wright, especially if I was putting balls into the box.

8:19I mean, what a fantastic player he was. Fantastic striker. Maybe I'll be the Ian Wright in 10 years. I know. I'll be the presenter. I wonder who will be coming to meet me. I remember speaking to Shearer and Lineker about it. Telling them about, nah, Hull's got this left back, he's brilliant. And they were saying, yeah, right. And then, bam. They had to admit it as well that I was right. That Andy Robertson was coming. He was like Thanos. He's coming.

8:58I was just talking about you. I was just saying he's like Thanos, he's coming. And then you come through the door. How are you? Good. How are you doing, Ant? I'm all good, thank you. How are you? You're looking well, bro. Jeez. How old are you now, Ant? Oh, 32. You look great, man. 32 for my sins. How's the training going and everything? All good, yeah. A couple of weeks left now, so not too bad. You've announced that you're going to finish at the end of the season. What's it been like? What's the last few weeks been like? What are you hoping for it to end like? I think it's been emotional in a good way in terms of I've been able to reflect.

9:35As footballers, you'll know from your career, you sometimes don't reflect on things that you probably should reflect on. do you know what I mean? And I think these last couple of weeks has gave me time to reflect on like... Does it make you feel, what am I doing or should I do? Does it make you feel like, God, have I announced that too quick? No, I think for me, the thing that was killing me right was lying to people, especially in the training ground, do you know what I mean? Realistically, I knew from February that it was going to be the end. Was that because you're not playing or you don't see the...

10:07I think it was a mix of things really. I think obviously you know the club didn't offer me anything but it was more because what we wanted didn't quite align do you know what I mean I think that happens do you know what I mean I'm a player that still wants to play and I want to play a game I've never had away from that and you know I think the club that's clear that that's not going to happen but I also think the club have to move on at a certain time and obviously Mo's leaving as well and you know all eras have to come to an end do you know what I mean I think that's probably the time we're at do you know what I mean we're probably the kind of last wave of it we already lost Trent last season we've lost Hendel, Millie so all these things people do move on I've been here for nine years we've had an incredible time here and I just think the time's probably right for everyone to just go it's been an unbelievable nine years and let's see what's next the success that's what I'm going to say about the success because obviously Jürgen was amazing people were saying things like Slott's coming and he's taking his team over and that's why he's won it but what's happened this season and why it seems to have gone so off the rails of what you're used to and what the Liverpool fans are used to?

11:17I think it's a mixture of things. I think what happened in the summer was, you know, I think nobody can prepare for what we had to go through. You know, after what, after the highs of the end of last season, you know, the first time me seeing the lads after the trophy days, we're on a plane on the way to one of our mates' funerals. And I think, and I'm not saying I don't want this being used as an excuse, but for the lads, it's been tough. It's been tough, it has been tough. And we can't hide away from that. We're only human beings at the end of the day. And I think for the world of football, it was tough enough.

11:58But for us, it's one of our best mates. I don't think people understand the enormity of the emotional strain strain that it has on a team when a player, even when he's unwell, when you heard that one of his family's not well, but let alone one of your teammates' goals. So I could totally empathise with everybody who was in the squad at the time. But yeah, that must have been really tough. It was tough. And obviously from that point of view, we then had a disrupt pre-season. Certain things we had to do and certain things we had to be respectful towards in terms of how we were dealing with it in terms of grief.

12:34We couldn't, like, the manager and the sports scientists, they couldn't push us too hard too early because of what we were going through. And they were going through the exact same. But then the season gets going and you then have to become a footballer. That's part of our lives. We all go through grief off the pitch. People have lost family members and things and probably played the next day. So I think then we get off to the season to a good start. I think five games, five wins. But we weren't playing well. Do you know what I mean? it was probably a bit of a false position I would say but we knew then our performances had to lift and for whatever reason we've just not been consistent this season now we had a lot of change we probably lost 7 or 8 players in the summer we brought in 5 or 6 which takes time to gel, you'll know that these lads had to take time to settle we had to get used to them, they had to get used to us and so on but for us and especially for the experienced lads it's been a disappointment there's no hiding away from that and it's from 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 and we all have to look at ourselves for that and it's been a disappointing season there's no buttering it up we expected a lot more from this season and it's been frustrating for different reasons but 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 and I hope that then next season they can rebuild and hopefully then the performance levels can lift again and hopefully they can be back up competing because that's where they have to be Absolutely Liverpool We're here with Gillette's Who's your best coach?

14:13We'd like to ask you my friend Who's been your best coach? I know you've had some really good coaches but who's been a coach for you that you could say I'll probably put him involved in that I've had so many I've been so lucky I even go back to my early days you all know as well, you need managers to give you a chance you know what I mean and that's the biggest thing for me you need managers to go and give you a chance Can I be honest with that, Lanny, you say that I feel that if I didn't have Steve Coppell when I came in 85 straight off the street with me, as how raw I was and how just unprofessional I was if I had a manager with a different kind of attitude and again, sometimes I look back now and it's easy to look back now and I was so fortunate to have him at that time, I don't think if I had a manager with a different outlook to the kind of person I was, the gold tooth, the strut and the swagger and everything that came with me, if I didn't have someone like Steve Coppola, I think it doesn't happen like it happens.

15:08Probably when I was younger, I was at Queen's Park and Dundee United, I was fortunate that we, at Dundee United especially, we had a young team and stuff and we had Jackie Martin as a manager, but I would say the two Wayne ones that made me grow up quickly was probably Steve Bruce and Gordon Strachan because I had them hand in hand. I had them both. Right. Obviously, Scotland, Hull, and both of them would help me as a young player, but also wouldn't let the younger lads step out of line and things like that. But both of them gave me a massive opportunity. Steve Bruce, I probably wasn't ready to play in the Premier League when he let me play.

15:40Seriously? I mean, I was only one year pro at that point. Do you know what I mean? And then we go to the QPR game away and he throws me in. Do you know what I mean? So you're not expecting to play though, are you? No, no. So the day before we'd done tactics and Liam Rossiniar was playing left back he was meant playing left back and he got injured in training but the gaffer never really he never named his team until the kind of day of the game so I've kind of went in the meeting not really thinking anything of it I'd only signed two weeks before he put the team up and I'm like you know kind of squint my eyes to see you know is that my name and I just remember I texted my dad when I came out of the meeting and all I said was are we allowed to kind of swear on this yeah of course you can so I texted my dad just saying oh shit that was it that's all I said right so my dad then just never took anything from it but he then tells the story after the game they've went I turned to your mum and I went I'm guessing he's playing then if he's saying that but how did you feel did you feel ready and I felt look don't get me wrong I felt nervous you always feel nervous but I think for me like you then I looked at we had such a good bunch of lads there you know we had so many experienced lads and I think I think we played a back five that day but we had people like Paul McShane and James Chester these lads that could really help and we had Robert Snodgrass in front of me and I just felt at home and I just thought do you know what, let's just go for it and I think we won 1-0, James Chester scored we kept a clean sheet, I think I cleared one off the line so yeah, it was a pretty perfect debut but without these people, without giving you a chance obviously then Gordon gave me a chance at Scotland, gave me my first my first cap my first call up and without these people your career doesn't go on doesn't go on to be but then obviously the big one for me was Klopp Klopp took me from there to there.

17:25He took me to then to be in the conversation of being potentially the world's best left back at that time and things like that. I said the best, top three, no problem. Yeah, and I don't think I would ever got to that level without him because he was like day to day, he was just on at me and Trent all the time and he was like a father figure every single day in training and he just kind of took both of us under his wing and just tried to get the best out of both of us. And I think then that partnership just flourished. And, yeah, we've got a lot to be grateful for. That's what we've been waiting for.

18:00Beautiful. Is Gordon Strachan here? Shall we unleash Gordon? Unleash the ginger genius. Do you know Gordon? Yeah. How do you know Gordon? We used to do TV together. We used to do punitry together. Spent a lot of time with Strachs. Good man. Yeah, he's quite, yeah. You know what? He's one of those that makes me feel kind of, because he kind of looks at you he doesn't take any foolishness if you're talking bollocks you know what I mean and so it's funny you're sitting with someone like Gordon when you're doing punditry and if you say something that's a little bit off it'll pull you straight up and that is why you know what I mean I love people like Strax we're going to go into it though because I want to hear about your early days because he was a manager when you was at Celtic so you would have been at Celtic I can't blame him for letting the ball No, no, no, no because I think he actually I can tell you my bit I think he actually left before you.

18:52I think he might have left before you. But yeah, it's an interesting story what you had, which I'm really looking forward to speaking about because I always talk about myself. Hey! How you doing? The blondie, look. How you doing, blondie? You OK? Obviously, you couldn't have got Jürgen Klopp. Klopp was busy, I think. Very good. Andy, are you good? Looking well. Good. Come on, cut my teeth. A couple of teeth for strikes, please. We were just talking about, obviously, you gave him his opportunity with Scotland. You left Celtic, obviously, before they released him, so it's not like... I wasn't giving you the blame for that one.

19:34I can take a blame for a few things, but not that. No. Did you know that he was in there at that stage? No idea. Wow. Yeah. I'd have been too young, wouldn't I? Yeah, of course. I was 15 when I got let go, so I don't think... I don't think that's on the radar for the first team manager. No, no, no. There's plenty of things going on there. Slav and Bratislava, I'll take my blame for that. I was in the stands for that game. Getting beat with Clyde, I'll take my blame for that. Yeah, but once you see what he went on to, even when he went to Dundee, obviously, he came from Queens, from Dundee, was you surprised once you heard that they'd let him go?

20:09Has he got it right? He doesn't know you played for Dundee. It was Dundee United. Sorry, you see Clyde. You know what I'm saying? It's like saying Sheffield, and I'm not saying Sheffield United it's like Sheffield Wednesday sorry Dundee United yes so did you I was at Dundee as a kid if that was any good you nearly got it right between the two of you you got one right no it's fine but Dundee it's always confusing with the Dundees but like when you realise they let him go and he's gone on would you have been surprised with that struts no first of all Andy was an unknown quantity to me when I first seen I first seen Andy playing for Dundee United at Partick Thistle first game of the season was it a Friday night Friday night game Friday night, and I think Chris Sutton was making one of his debuts as a pundit at the time.

20:53I remember that. There were a couple of things that I remember. You remember that, was he talking some bullocks? It launched a couple of careers that night. I was doing the punditry that night, and I remember watching the game. It wasn't a great game. And every time it went to Andy, because the game was kind of pedestrian, and every time, it kind of changed. just the dynamics of the game changed and I thought he's interesting that fella looked about, wondered who he was could never see him, he'd just come from nowhere it's Queen's Park Andy had been before it's a good grounding actually Queen's Park, a lot of good people so that was the the initial and then kept an eye on and then got the Scotland gig and I think you're right, you were the under-21s, Andy, and we were playing an 11 v 11, but we're shorty players.

21:52I said to the under-21 coach, could you send that? Because we need to have an 11 v 11. And by the way, it was us that we hadn't played. So the 21s had played the night before and it was the subs. So I was on the bench for the 21s. You had a sub as well? Yeah, yeah. Jesus, what was I thinking about? We need to pull Billy Stark up for that. I bet the left-back who played that night It would have been Clark Robertson, I think. He must be thinking to himself, well, what did I do wrong? The sub is getting a game before me. So, yeah, when Andy Kilmore, and then we played the game, they're always high intensity games.

22:31We made it that way. And I remember you went up... You know he's there as well. Sorry? You know he's there in that game as well. Right away. So, when the ball comes to Andy, it's just there's something happening going on there. and he went on the touchdown he was working, I don't know, with Barry Bannon playing with you or something like that he went to the touchdown a couple of times and chipped the ball in but we didn't have much height in the team I think Griff was there or something like that so I said to Andy, next time you go down there son, think about the edge of the 18-yard line cut it back to there off he goes again and he cuts it back to you, whether it was a goal or not something happened so at that time I knew there was enthusiasm but there was intellect there at the same time.

23:14Right. With a player that could pick something up right away. Thank you very much. That was very kind of you because I was running out of ideas at that point. Well done. So at that point, I knew not only was a good player, but had the intellect. And people forget that to be a top player, you have to have intellect. Absolutely. You know, we all get a bad gig of every football player's thinking. Far from it. You need any sort of business. You need intellect to pick up the information you've passed on. You add that to your ability, and then you grow and grow as a player. So we knew at that point we needed somebody who had an energy, intellect, and we always kept around them after that.

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26:01We'll be right back. your first purchase. That's bombus.com and use code audio. Obviously mentioned Queen's Park so you went from Celtic you go to Queen's Park yeah straight to Queen's Park so you know obviously being let go you know are you thinking well what now what's happening because it's semi-pro as well isn't it yeah so it's difficult like I think when you get let go at like 15 it's difficult because you're not in a position to make the decisions do you know what I mean like still only a kid and you know I always kind of fail to that but when Queen's Park first called me I wasn't like I was obviously at Celtic who had you know top two biggest clubs in Scotland and then getting a phone call from you know League 2 at that time so I'm thinking I went because I didn't really know about the obviously we know now that Queen's Park are so well known for their youth academy and everything like that so it's like I went there for a week during the summer and I just fell in love with the coaches and I fell in love with the training and I just thought do you know what I can see myself here and in the back of my mind And then I thought, if I do well in the next couple of years, maybe that's my way into first team football.

27:05Because that was always the aim for me, to try and get as quickly as I could to the first team football. So I just went there. And to be honest, my first season at Queen's Park wasn't much better. In that year, that was when I'd done all my growing. I'd done a lot of growing, I'd done a lot of maturing. Because did you have a lot of problem with the size? I think all three of us had a problem with size when we were young. I used to get a lot of that. Speak for yourself. I got a lot of that, to the point where it's like, I actually used it was the excuse what I could use when I didn't make the trials did you get that about your size yeah yeah because obviously I was at that point I used to play in centre mid but I could also play left back but the size was a there's a problem because in Scotland I don't know if it's still the same but when you were at under 15s you then went straight to under 17s so you're then all of a sudden playing two years two years above which at that time I probably wasn't ready to do do you know what I mean so that's why then when you go into the lower leagues they have an under 16s as well as that so it's not it's just a one year gap so that's why Queen's Park was probably perfect as well but the first season wasn't great and then the second season then that's when I really started kicking on and probably took over certain people that were above me and then that next season I was in the first team So when was the time that I read about stuff with you with your thinking about going back to university working at M &S and stuff when was that what was that stage was that the same kind of time that was the same time because at Queen's Park I was on I was on 18 quid a week 18 pounds a week 18 pounds so that's like I think we know we can't live off that that's for sure that wasn't where the tweet came from but you get 20 % off what Marts and Spencer I did that but this guy he's still got that this guy I'm in there a lot as you can tell I'm in there a lot but yeah obviously I had to work and in that year I was very fortunate that coming out of school in that year kind of my mum and dad gave me the you know okay let's try and make it work you know let's try and get in the first team and make it try and make it pro and if I didn't make it that year I think then I would have had to look to college and things like that so that's where he's looking yeah because even when I was in the first team at Queen's Park I applied for college and things like that to do sports coaching and things like that I think that was the January time but luckily at that time Partick Thistle had kind of got because Jackie McNamara was still the manager there they'd got in touch but it just couldn't get done in the January so I kind of knew that come the summer time I should have full-time options and so that's why I was quite confident that at least I'd get a crack at full-time football.

29:34So then, so once you're in the family said, right, so then you kicked on, so what's happening now at Queen's Park? You're getting, so this, when's Dundee come? When's Dundee United come? That's right. Can I say something for you any further? When I was listening to you speaking here, you said something about when you went to Queen's Park that you loved working with the coaches, they made you love the game again because there's a disappointment after you get released. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The coaches that you had then, they still gave you the love for the game because it can be quite disappointing.

30:01Because most of us have gotten the knockback. I got it for Hibs when I was 15. It becomes disappointing. But if you get these great coaches in, they don't have to be technically brilliant at that age, but make you love it. And they understand that when you're getting coached, they're doing it for me, not themselves. There's too many young coaches and I can't be doing it for themselves. It would be young Marinos and tactics and this and all the rest of it and they strut about. but somebody who makes you, that's what you need at academy level, which made you, because that's a crucial point of the game for your career, because you might have lost it at that point, but bumping into the people who make you love the game at that point is crucial.

30:39Well, that's the thing, because I look back at that time of how many players that fell out the game at that point. Do you know what I mean? Because you can go either one or two ways. When you go to Queen's Park, you can either try and then progress again, or you can then go, you know, and go down. Do you know what I mean? and I know a lot of people that I'd played with at that time that just fell out of love with the game, more importantly, and just kind of, you know, then not played and got normal jobs and things like that, which is fine. But the thing is, like you said, I got people that made me fall in love with the game more and it made me want it more and made me even more hungry.

31:11And I think if I didn't have that, I probably would have struggled big time. Do you know what I mean? So you know that resilience, that drive and that character you've got, where does that come from? Is it just pure Braveheart business? people say yeah bring you up it's that deep drive that you've got even with the disappointment getting released before and then you go into your semi-pro and then you're kicking on again where's that I remember watching you one time it was at Anfield as well where you chase the whole remember that one you chase the whole back four it's something I used to love doing but I used to finish it off by trying to clatter the left or the right back and you chase the whole No you didn't try you did it I did yeah you did it and it's something you did it so we all kept away for you when you were in that move The thing that strikes is that when I saw it, it was a time in the game where it kind of dropped.

31:58Did you recognise that ad? Where did that person come from, that drive and that determination? I think that was when I went on to pitch, I just tried to enjoy it as much as I could. The two things I'd done was I tried to enjoy it as much as I could and I tried to give 100%. And that's all I could be in control of, whether I'd done a couple of bad passes, which I'm sure the Gaffer will remember a few of them, or if I didn't have a good game as long as I'm still 100 % working hard and I think even when I was younger I think you'll deal with a lot more young players than me now but some people look too far ahead as well they look at it like at 15 I'm at Queen's Park I need to be back in the SPL at 18 I never looked too far ahead and even when I came to Liverpool it was one thing I'd never done I never looked too far in the future It's a great philosophy that of don't look too far ahead stay there because there's so many people I know, players, coaches that's where I want to play that's where I want to go and today's more than a kid I want a car, I want a house I want this, I want that, I want a wag really?

33:06so anyway but just live for that moment and do it and what Andy's saying is whatever you do that day do it the best you're at Bully and Andy never planned I would imagine playing there it was just and this is where I've got it again I know people and I knew right away this was a good kid who had humility with humility means you always want to get better if you lack humility that means you think you're good so Andy's always had this even the last time he played out there he has this humility of I must be at my best I must be a good teammate I must try and improve he had that as a kid so I knew right away that he had that John McGinn's the same as soon as you meet them within two days you know that they've got it they've got to improve so I like that the idea of trying to improve every day and you end up it's a wonderful journey then the future looks because people when they go for a target and they don't get there they think to themselves a failure yeah my best coach brought to you by Gillette With Dundee United, how many games did you play in that first season when you broke through and then you started to feel to yourself, wow, it's happening.

34:29Was there a time when you feel like it's happening? Because obviously I was only at Dundee United for one year. I think in the January, Roberto Martinez tried to sign me for Everton. He came up and watched me. Story could have been very different. I don't think it would have been sat in this cafe. And that never happened. And then in the summer I knew I would have options, but I wasn't ready to leave Dundee United. I just felt as if... How old was you then? I'd have been 19, but I'd only had one year as a pro. Also, I think Scottish people as well, we fear the Premier League a little bit. Young players think, well, I'll never get to the Premier League.

35:13So I was like, am I ready to go down? should I maybe just do another season here and things like that but yeah I had a 20 minute call with Steve Bruce and that was me convinced So how did that call go? I remember it was driving down to Glasgow I was just coming down to see my parents and obviously the Hull had put the bid in and it had been accepted How much was it? 2.85 million I think and the chairman accepted it and I remember seeing him in training that day Stephen Thompson and he was like oh you're going to Hull and I was like oh I'm not sure and he was like no you're going to if they've accepted the money but then I went down and I met my agents and they were like oh look Steve Bruce wants to call you and I had about 15-20 minutes on the call with him and after that I walked out of the office and I said to my agent come on let's go down and we went down that night Stratts was he manager in Scotland at the time?

36:08Yeah was it Dundee and we gave him his debut in March was it Poland? who was it? Poland and then we played Nigeria in the summer remember it That's right, we played well there, played Poland. What was it like getting the call-up? Unbelievable. Obviously, in the October-November time, I'd went in and trained, obviously, in the 11 v 11, but I was still with the 21s. But I think the manager had spoke well of me in a press conference and things, so I thought, OK, maybe I would. But then the march comes and I knew it was friendlies. Yeah, I remember getting the call-up and I thought, kind of went to Poland, not expecting much.

36:44and I remember you came I remember you came up to me about I think I came on about 60 but I think you came up to me about 55 and he just said you better go on and just play the way you play because you didn't want me you said to me don't start going backwards and sideways I want you to and I think then he went crazy because the first ball went to it to him was a square pass and then normally you make your debut you try and you try to be safe I'll try and be safe I'll get it no he never he just hit it out of his feet 15 yards and went chasing after the ball and I went I'm a good coach me see what he's doing the kid so that's where it started and it and it just snowballed for there and then you get to know them yeah and we had a problem in Scotland previous with problems with the the behaviour with some of the players and the standards and they're going to the World Cup now but it all starts with people like Andy and John McGinn setting that standard of everybody being welcome in that group and making sure.

37:46But also they put the standards at training as well. The way they train, the way they look after themselves. And everybody's welcome. So, yeah, it was not only the beginning of players, but it was the beginning of a kind of ethos at Scotland when you join, this is what you do. Because these guys literally play for nothing. They don't get anything to play for Scotland. Only if you're qualifying for the World Cup, which was never going to happen under me. So they're playing for nothing. you know they're playing for nothing you leave your family for two weeks and go somewhere and get booed and 60 ,000 people want to rip your head off and come back and say how did it go well I got booed it and what's your pay for that nothing and you've left me for two weeks so these guys should never get stuck because they're playing for the country anyway that was me and a side thing there um no these guys have been absolutely terrific for Scotland I said to you it started away back then when these boys join.

38:38So you're going to Hull now and you're in the Premier League, right? Talk to me about that move and how you felt because obviously there's a bit of disappointment to come with that as well. Yeah, look I was obviously then delighted to be in the Premier League, biggest league in the world and coming down and working under Steve Bruce and things like that and I was very fortunate I had a really good changing room. I had a lot of experienced lads that could help. I had Michael Dawson, I had Curtis Davis, I had Tom Huddleston, I had Jake Livermore snoddy Griegsey Snoddy When people name our footballers it's always that kind of name But that's like so we had a really experienced group that could kind of help me and Harry Maguire and people like that come through and kind of grow up quite quickly as well because obviously the first season at Hull we got relegated and that was obviously difficult but it was also a kind of eye-opener of okay what standards we have to get to and you know okay I thought I was doing quite well in my career now but I need to take it to a whole new level now.

39:39I think that first season was a real eye-opener for us. But the second season was the biggest one for me in the Championship. I think I played the most games for the team. I learned so much. But what about when you did go down? What was your feelings? Obviously you're disappointed to go down, but what are you feeling about your progression and your trying to get to where you need to be in respects of playing in the Premier League regularly and doing well? What was it like when you went down? How did you feel? I knew there was so much more work still to do. Do you know what I mean? I knew, like, I still don't think I'm the Finnish article, so that's always been my kind of attitude that I can always improve.

40:15But I think at that moment in that year, it just kind of opened my eyes. What was your summer like? It was stressful because the thing is, as well as relegations, it affects not only you, it affects staff and the building. People lose jobs. People lose jobs. And, you know, I think that season then the owners said, okay we'll give you one more season I think the team stayed together but there was a huge pressure on us to try and get back up so I think this summer was more about determination of okay let's try and go into this season and we know we're going to be one of the favourites to go back up and we have to kind of go and prove that In this time when all this is happening are you in touch with Andy at all at any stage?

40:54Are you speaking to him about what's going on with the relegation coming back and all that sort of stuff? You don't phone them you just when you meet how are you getting on and you sit down and you chat and you have a laugh and you realise that this is a football business because, as you say, you're getting really gated. What you're doing now is you're going through all the low points in Andy's career and we've all had them because you have to have these for character building. If he didn't have these, he couldn't have played there because there's 60 ,000 people in there that are no interest in how you're feeling, what you're up to, and all the rest of it, they just have to play there.

41:32and your true character comes out there. It's not on social media, it's not doing interviews, it's there. So Andy keeps proving himself on there all the time. But it only happens if you get these character-building moments all the way through your career. You've had that, we've all had that. What you need to watch just now in Academy Football is they're taking away these career-defined moments where you're tested mentally and physically. So that's why you're struggling to get people coming through the academies to play in these things here. They're not used to the pressure. It's no reality football under 21s.

42:10Nobody cares about the scores. Nobody cares about the scores. You just turn up, play a game. So you need character building moments and resilience so you come there and you play in there when you can deal with it. Life's still rotting at times. You've been at Liverpool and you think, what a game I've played. Rotting. people are booing you or something like that and you think how bad am I and probably you'll start to think is that me finished now is that me, am I past my best so you've got to work at that again that's another moment we've had you think yeah are we finished, unfortunately for me I was right I was finished

42:50so you have to have these moments yeah but he was 50 at the time so everybody even the Scottish John McGinn's the same when he was at Sipmurn I was telling everybody buy him nobody wanted him ended up getting the championship in Scotland you know and then going again so what you've got now with these two guys that can play at the highest level My Best Coach brought to you by Gillette Can Liverpool come in now? I'm Jake Stouck co-founder and CEO of Serval we built Serval to automate the IT work that slows companies down. Onboarding, password resets, access to applications, my laptop stopped working.

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44:13That's S-E-R-V-A-L dot com slash ACAST.

44:22You're a pro at running your life. At committing to your workout. at showing up every day. At Bombas, we're pros too. Pros at making socks. Our sport assortment has specialized socks for whatever sport you're committed to. Running, hiking, golf, Pilates, and so much more. Made with sweat-wicking yarns, blister-fighting details, and targeted art support. Bombas Sport is pro-level socks from the pros of socks. For another pro, you. Go to bombas.com slash audio and use code audio for 20 % off your first purchase. That's bombas.com and use code audio. When did you start hearing about the Liverpool interest?

44:58Did it happen quickly? Obviously in the January of my last year, I nearly went to Sunderland with David Moyes. Was you thinking about it? Yeah, because at that point, I'd obviously... Hull were in a bit of an uncertain time. Marco Silva had literally just came in. And I didn't have long left in my contract and things like that. and my wife now, she just found out she was pregnant with her first child and things like that. So obviously, the things change, everything you then want to make sure that they are future. So I did consider it and Burnley were there as well in January, but it never happened and then the week later, the week later I was actually telling the scout that phoned us, I told him this last night, that I had a meeting with my agents and I sat down and there was a couple of Premier League teams interested and I said, forget Liverpool.

45:53Liverpool's like the pipe. That's the dream. I maybe need to make this step next to before. So we had this hour-long chat about how we'd forget them and we'd concentrate on these couple of clubs. And then 55 minutes into the conversation, he's phoned my agent and went like, Jürgen wants to have a chat with Andy. So I was like, forget them. So I'm going there. It was a massive shock. and then obviously time went by and then I went over and met I'd went over and met Jürgen and we didn't speak one bit about football we just spoke about life we spoke about his upbringing Mark bringing and yeah I think we just clicked from there and you know he obviously tells it now but I think it's like at that moment he was like no I want him in the door and after that I was just trying to get the two clubs to agree and then I was on my way what was obviously Anfield I remember when we came up in 90 Palace.

46:49I couldn't wait to play at Anfield. I just couldn't wait. So I was at Hull and we went to Anfield, obviously, and I knew they were kind of interested at that point. And we got a man sent off after 15 minutes. We got pumped 5-1. I gave away a penalty. And I was thinking, I've walked off the pitch going, that's it, I've blown it, I've blown it. And the actual chief scout had texted me agent that night going, don't worry, we're not thinking anything in that game. I thought, right, okay. Again, that's a test. That's right, exactly, yeah. That's a test, because what they've done is watched you under pressure.

47:21Yeah. They've watched you, how does he react to going behind? How is he playing? Does he stick at it? Does he keep going? Yeah. That's the kind of guy we're after. So it's amazing where your career can change. Yeah. In games. It might have been a great game, Arsenal seeing you, but they've always seen you getting beat, but how are you playing when you're getting beat? Are you still going? Are you still driving on or are you getting beat 3-0? Yeah. So they're the games. it's not usually the big games where you do really well scroll all the games you're brilliant it's usually the games where people are looking at your true character and moments where it's tested so that's probably when I've looked at you and went I'm alright then So what's it like so you're getting ready you signed for Liverpool tell me about that because it's obviously like you said it was a pipe dream that you was going to go there but now it's happening and you're at Liverpool what's it like at the start what's it like when you get here Yeah it was it was unbelievable obviously it took a bit longer to agree the fee so I'd missed out in pre-season all the lads they were all in Hong Kong at the time and I had to stay back there was a couple injured boys like Danny Ings Sadio Manny were just back from injury Emery Khan I think so I was training with them the first couple of days and that that maybe sent me back I was desperate to get on pre-season because that's when you get to know the lads and get to do you know what I mean so I was kind of desperate to do that I was gutted that I missed out on that and then for the first couple of months I struggled in terms of my mindset of trying to turn it off these are my teammates instead of my opposition.

48:45I just felt as if like, I mean, I was trying to then try to find where you belong in the squad and things like that. And I think the first couple of months was just all about learning how the manager wanted us to play. And then secondly, trying to find where you fit in and things like that. And I think obviously I made my debut against Palace, first home game of the season, went pretty well. But, you know, I look back on that game and everyone was, the fans were happy with me. But I always remember the manager, the manager was happy for me, but then after the game he was like I need you to do this instead of that I was maybe putting too many balls in the ball or whatever it was but it was like I wasn't quite playing the way Jurgen Klopp wanted his full back to play and things like that so it was then just trying to understand that the next couple of months and then it was just about when I then got the opportunity I had to be ready to take it Was that something that you could do no problem?

49:32It wasn't like he was asking you to do something you couldn't do? No, no, no, it wasn't as if you'd asked to do something you couldn't do but Jurgen Klopp's style of play was It's called making better choices the way he wanted us to play was quite unique even defensively always jumping to the full back it was very much press forward and obviously I was coming from Hull who in the Premier League more often or not we were in low blocks that was just because we were the lesser team, we were coming to Anfield and trying to stay together and then all of a sudden I was the team that had the 70-80 % possession and that's a change of mindset and it was just trying to then And like you said, make better decisions on the ball, make better decisions off the ball.

50:14And I just had to be patient, really. And I think it was about the November time I got my chance. And at that point, I felt I was belonging there. And I felt I was ready to go and give it my best shot. And thankfully, I didn't really look back from that moment. So then, obviously, we have to talk about your mate as well, Trent, and everything. How did you and Trent's friendship just build? Obviously, you're over that side of the pitch. He's over this side. And you obviously get on well in training and everything. how did it become such a tight friendship? I think because at the start we both felt the same I think the season I signed that was the season where Trent had just been officially promoted to the first team in terms of in the changing room and things like that so I think we were both trying to find our place in the changing room at the same time I think we grew closer due to that similar positions, similar ambitions as well to try and get into the first team and things like that and I just think then probably round about the same time we really then kicked on together and I just think we both looked at each other thinking I can take a little bit from him he can take a little bit from me and then both with our competitive nature we just started competing on everything we would compete at sprints and training we would compete on anything that we could table tennis in the training ground and then all of a sudden it came into the assist competition everyone focuses on the assist competition but it wasn't that it was more the fact that we were just pushing each other to new limits that's what happens at clubs at that stage I remember when you went to Arsenal everything changed everything even the training I found the training at the start it took me it took me a couple it took me a while I think it took me a couple of months to get used to how good they were in training just to stay with them it's an intensity isn't it there's an intensity and a quality with the top players I think it scares people when they actually come along do you think that's why Strax where some players like they go to the club and they've done well and they go to the club and then it just kind of doesn't happen for them because like I was really afraid at that stage about like my quality at that level?

52:08Most of the time the quality is alright, it's just the standards that people set all the time is sometimes too much for them, some players can go and play a couple of weeks, do well and then sign with that, but clubs like this, it's every week every training session and sometimes it gets too much for them and the pressure gets too much for them. Did it ever get too much you know with Liverpool and we know what the goldfish ball that Liverpool is did it ever get too a stage for you where you're like, whoa, this is serious pressure? I think it was always serious pressure, but I think the older you get, the more you get better at dealing with it, do you know what I mean?

52:46In terms of sometimes I would maybe bring a bad result home, you know what I mean? In terms of maybe then it affects the night you have with your kids and things like that and I think it was then trying to find the balance of, okay, football's football, families, you know what I mean? And trying to get things that you can switch off from football for and it's just trying to find the things that because it's so intense when you're out there and it's so intense on the training pitch and like you said we live in a world now where everything's under a microscope and things like that and it's important then to just try and find the little things that you can become a dad not a footballer It's very hard to switch off it really is nearly impossible and I'm afraid the people running about you have got to suffer with you as well there's no tablet you can take to get over disappointment and that's what I'm saying again it's that character building thing you have to do and your wife have to get used to it or partners have to get used to this maniac that comes home and everybody thinks life's great for us most of the time there's moments of right we're enjoying it and all this but the rest of it is all hard work My Best Coach brought to you by Gillette When Trent was getting ready to leave as well how was that with you because like obviously you've come through like you've mentioned you pushed each other to the but he's realised he's come to the time where I want to go somewhere else what was that like for you because you could see the shit for want of a better word that he went through in that time what was that like for you and your friendship and everything yeah I think like for me you know towards him I was just I'd said to him all along do you know what I mean I'm here for you whatever you know whatever you kind of need and obviously there was one game in there when he got booed and things like that which was difficult for all of us but also you know I think Trent was the first to realise he understood why the fans were angry or annoyed we're not here to question how people feel do you know that's what it is and if people want to show anger or show frustration it's fear sometimes it's fear the fear from the fans because they think they're losing a great player and they'll take the club down there's a fear the thing is it's a compliment as well in a way do you know because they were gutted at losing such a good player now and I think in that moment in terms of friendship it was just trying to help him navigate through that he'd made his decision he'd made a career choice and it was just about then trying to support him and that he'd made the brave decision to leave his boyhood club that he's played with for so many years and I think it was just trying to guide him through that but like I said he was also a big boy and he made his own decision and I think he committed his decision and you have to respect that and I think obviously we've missed him as a player there's no doubt about that we've missed him as a character as well but he's obviously went on to try something new and sometimes you just have to take your hats off to that But now you are at Liverpool and you're now winning the big ones what's it like now?

55:55Because you're talking about Liverpool and Liverpool winning the title again and what it means to Liverpool and you're part of that, a major part of that what was it like leading into that? obviously trying to beat the Thanos that was Manchester City. It's so tough. And you've done that after losing, what, 97 points? 97 points, yeah. Jeez, how did you deal with that in the dressing room? God almighty, 97 points. I would have really worried for us that season if we didn't win the Champions League, like in terms of mentally, because the season before we got beat, the Champions League final against Real Madrid, realistically, we weren't ready for that final.

56:29We were coming up against the old-timers of the Champions League. and I think then the season we had, 97 points, hardly dropping any points and just coming up against an absolute unbelievable team. But the fact that we had the Champions League final to then bounce back on after the disappointment in the last game of the season, I think it was in full focus on the Champions League. But we were that determined to go and win that Champions League because we knew that could be the start of our success. We had to win one of the big ones and obviously then you go on and do it. but that I think climbing to the top of the mountain is the best like that see when you're at the top of the mountain then like you said you've got all the pressures you've got everything to try and stay there but as a team we were just like you know the first season I was here we were slow but surely we took big steps and I think we just all did it together just as a big bunch of mates and it was the best time of our lives do you know what I mean just trying to climb that mountain winning the Champions League was just like the best 24 hours of your life yeah and that group will stay with you for the rest of your life yeah exactly when you're 60-70 and you'll get together.

57:30Yeah. And the funny thing about it is because I know when you get together, they'll change shape, they'll lose their hair, they'll lose their teeth, but their character never changes. You know when you meet your old guys, it never changes. And the same people who are funny, same people who are doer, same people who wear their crappy clothes, it's still crappy. And that's the wonderful thing about football. And I think you've won things, we've won things, but it's the memories that you get. That's the thing. You say, where's your medals? No idea. but can you remember Tony Adams trying to kill me at commentary and absolutely going to kill me that kind of stuff because I remember it so you see the season after when you totally obliterated what was the start of the season like because I'm thinking to myself yes Liverpool won the Champions League they lost the Premier League by a point and now they've won the Champions League let's see what they've made of this season Was that your attitude coming into that season when you finally did it?

58:31It's easy to say now because we went and won it, but our attitude was we're winning the Premier League. That was the attitude. That's what we set out to do. We'd won the Champions League, which was a massive step. We showed that we could win the biggest trophy that you can win at club level. And I think then the next season was we're not missing out on a point again. We're going to win this Premier League. And that was just our attitude going in from the very first day of pre-season. so you see because I was saying Strax about Manchester City created a monster in Liverpool because that team where you said I'm really pleased to hear you say we're not losing a point that's what I was saying because what you had to do the season before and lost I said then City's going to have to come even harder now because this Liverpool team have really grown some horns the thing was the season before what had killed us we didn't lose many games we just drew and sometimes draws in football can kind of cover it up because if you're unbeaten in eight but you have four draws you know what I mean you've dropped eight points so it was like we probably drew a couple so like I always remember obviously because I'd scored equaliser but Villa away we played Villa away I equalised eighth minute and you've just seen every one of the lads sprinting back to the you know Villa Park difficult place to go you probably take a point it's like no we all had the attitude to sprint back and try and get us winner because we couldn't afford to drop we believed that we couldn't afford to drop any points I think that week we went I think it was maybe six points clear we then had City over there the next Sunday I think we beat them 3-0 or something like that we go nine points clear in November and we thought that was the point where we put the foot to the gas and we just thought over this Christmas period we can run away with it So City did create a monster because City couldn't respond to that could they?

1:00:17They didn't respond to what they created where you blasted them No and now obviously that season their standards dropped a little bit but I think maybe part of that was because of the pressure this is a good story by the way because I've not got a clue what happened here I was watching Dundee at the time I've not got a clue this was a different planet so carry on this is great wonderful gentleman it was one of those that obviously I can't remember what the final tally was it might have been 20 I don't know how many points you beat them by in the end I think we finished on 99 points because we were one point short at 100 maybe they were high 70s early 80s but how did you feel after that because then now that you've done that I was starting to think wow this Liverpool team's going to just finish this off yeah well that was when you joined this club or when not now but when I joined the club the one thing it came like when you bump into people on the street the one thing that came across was the desperation for the Premier League because that's the one that all the other rival fans could taunt them over you know your Man United your Chelsea's your Arsenal's even like they could say oh well where's your Premier League and things like that and that was the one thing that you could feel when you spoke when you bumped into people in the street get the Premier League get the Premier League and it's like you felt as if it was like you know desperation really and that was the point the fan base was at so I think for us to then go and achieve that for them and knowing that okay they don't you know rival fans can't really slag them off for that anymore it was just obviously it was the maddest time ever when it was COVID that season and that came in so when we actually won it it was such a strange time in the world but yeah it was an incredible feeling just being able to produce for them and being able to know how desperate everyone within the club was to secure that Premier League So you haven't announced that after nine years you are going to be leaving Liverpool obviously it must have been a difficult decision to come to but like are you in a good place in that respect do you know where you're going yet not that you're going to tell us I know you're not going to tell us but If I did know I'd tell you maybe off camera but I'd tell you too but no like I think How close was that Tottenham?

1:02:22Tottenham was close in January I wouldn't deny that that was close, it was a serious consideration and things like that but it didn't happen for X, Y and Z I think it's so hard because I've got such a massive tournament coming up which has taken my full focus and it's hard to see when you're in the kind of tournament it's hard to see football beyond that and I think I know I need to get my future sorted for my family and for myself and know where I'm going to go for my future which I'll do in the next couple of weeks but I think in terms of leaving Liverpool I just think the time was it was the time it was an honest conversation sitting down with the club and I've got a great relationship wherever's one up above and I think what I still want from football in terms of playing and things like that they couldn't quite promise which I completely respect but then you know on the back of that then there was nothing offered which is obviously because you can't match what you think and I just think it was then a conversation of let's just end this amazing nine year journey and I suppose the club is going through a bit of a change of the guards you know end of an era kind of stuff me and Moore walking out the same day Trent obviously left last season and yeah look all good things have to come to an end and I just think the people that have made our name for ourselves here is in the next couple of years I'm sure everyone will start filling out because we're not getting any younger we're all in our 30s and things like that and yeah, obviously a couple of weeks left, I can look forward to my kind of farewell, I'm sure that will be emotional with all my family in the stadium and things like that but it's been an amazing journey one I look back on with just pure joy in the nine years, even off the pitch what's happened having three kids and things like that it's just, everything's just happened in that short space of time and I'll look back on my time here.

1:04:17There's one for you. Over the last season, did you feel that your influence had waned a wee bit on the whole thing? I think... I'll tell you why, because I was like that at Leeds, where I was playing, and I always felt when I was playing against Ian, I had an influence on every player on the pitch. Near the end, you could see people just, not taking me with the same kind of seriousness. My words didn't mean as much. It's funny, Ray Wilkins said something similar when he let us stage he said he didn't feel like he had the same the difference yeah but then you go away somewhere it was the same at Man United it was a bit like that you go somewhere you become an influence but Leeds was the same then I packed it in then I went to Coventry and I felt it was an influence with the players again so I think the secret about your next move is where I'm going to go that you've got to feel you have to accomplish something with it and that you've got to be an influence where everybody looks at you and goes thank goodness Andy Robertson's here and you'll enjoy that because what you'll get from that enthusiasm of people around about you it will go into you and you'll get a kick from that to keep going and driving on obviously especially the last few years when you come in at half time probably me and Virgil are probably the most vocal if things aren't going well now it's a lot easier to do that when you're sat in the shirt and you're the one that's felt the problems on the pitch when you're walking in as a sub and you've just been a bystander effectively when you maybe see problems it's probably some of the lads are going well you're not on the pitch you don't know the problem of the winger coming inside so yeah I think you have felt that a little bit do you know what I mean and that's the thing and I've been you know I know I've been so important for the club over the last nine years in different capacities but yeah it's just it's been I don't look back on it with any bitterness you know what I mean it's been I would never imagine they'd have been here for nine years and the fact that it's been nine incredible years winning what I've won and yeah just go to whatever's next with you know excitement and just try and go on.

1:06:15But the funny thing is, and I've no good to bet on this, but when you see somebody else playing in position, you think, I'm Burtna. You know, it was at Leeds and David Cummins, David Roecastle, Roger, Sellers, and I'm going, that's good, that's good, but that's the one to play. You know, that's very nice to see you, lads, but I hope he's doing really well, but not as well as me. But that's the thing with someone like Andy, whoever signs Andy will definitely be signing someone that they know will be playing regularly. But you're signing more than a player. Absolutely. You're signing more than a player.

1:06:48You're signing a player that if you're in a tunnel and you turn round, it's like Brian Robson's there or Willie Miller I play with, and you're there. Players go, thank goodness you're here. That's the kind of... I might need you to phone a couple of clubs from here.

1:07:07Again, you're talking about three kids here. you know so you're talking people talk about yeah i wanted to experience a different culture and this and that that's all fine if you're you know i mean you it's just you and your missus or something yeah yeah but like when you've got three kids now you've got to try and see i want to stay as close as i can to them i don't want to be going away too far from them i'm not saying i need to go wherever and don't get me wrong but i'm just saying that those are the those are the kind of thoughts that come into your mind you know i mean right the vicinity and how far am I from my kids?

1:07:38We're going to have to uproot my kids again and stuff like that. The funny thing about it, I left United, Man United, and that's a story in the cell, that, you know, when I left there, and again, it's one of these moments where you're down, you think that the world's horrible, I'm finished football, blah, blah, blah. So I went to Leeds and I spoke to people there, and I thought, they're actually telling me they need me to get promoted. They want me there. So, again, it's that kind of thing. Giving you that responsibility. It's a responsibility that I've never had for the last few years. never heard that because I've always been at clubs where Willie Miller was a captain one of the greats and Brian Robson yeah right so I've always been they were actually saying we want you to lead leads I think that's the kind of thing after we go right I'm for this and I can be a leader again because that's what you want to be as a leader and play in the same mode that you've been playing so I just hope that you can you can find the right place and it's close enough for you and the kids but we've got to talk about Scotland before we go because obviously the World Cup you'll be captain in Scotland, signing the World Cup and that must be amazing for you.

1:08:39How do you feel about that? Yeah, it's like one of the ones that you don't want to think about it too much until it's here. I mean, in terms of, you know, I can go back to the, you know, the Denmark game is, you know, one of the most emotional I've ever been after a game in terms of... I've got to say, I'm never a fan, right? I analyse stuff, football, right? I analyse it all the time. I can't enjoy a game, I analyse it. But that game... Yes. me and Mrs Strachan turned into fans I forgot everything about the game and what I was watching it was just it's probably one of the it's the best Scotland game I've ever seen it could be it could be one of the greatest endings everything that was going on the goals the atmosphere the way you finished it you know as I say it was great because I've never been a fan but you see even when you do punditry there's certain games you watch that takes you away from it that was one of those games as well because there's so much on it and then the goals as well it was like a film it was Scotland's best ever goals in the one night it was just magnificent as I said to you, I don't turn into a fan I very rarely turn into a fan but I did it that night and it was a great feeling being a fan you actually turn into a bit of a nutcase but yeah look obviously that night to then go and achieve it from you know obviously since 1998 and things like that it's just like you then start thinking about it.

1:10:07Now we're so close. I think the squad gets announced next week and then the squad meet up the week after. So it's like we're now right close to it. Do you know what I mean? And it's now the excitement's building. All of a sudden the group chat's going off again. Everyone's trying to get going again. It's just so exciting. And I think I spent a couple of days up in Scotland after that game. I had a couple of days off. And the most pleasing thing for me after that game was the amount of Scotland flags out out their windows, the amount of Scotland shirts you would see walking about. We've not always had that.

1:10:40Sometimes we've had tough times. Even when Steve Clarke first came in, when I got captaincy, it had a big impact on all of us in terms of we were playing in front of 10 ,000, 12 ,000 people. There was a big change because obviously when the gaffer left, a lot of players went with you. That was the kind of point of the squad we were at. We had a lot of people over 30 that were playing really well. but that was their manager and we could have probably done with a maybe slower you know internal transition so we kind of got thrown straight into it and then the likes of me and McGinn and things I had to probably step up even more at 23, 24 McTominay as well McTominay was even younger you know he was only 21, 20 at that time so but now for us to go on that journey and to be going to the World Cup it's just it's unbelievable and you know we're such a good group of lads and we just go over there to try and achieve even more history.

1:11:35It's amazing because you think of the guy that got let, because if Strax were there you wouldn't have got let go, but like 14, let go Celtic, and then fingers crossed you finish the season well, you're going to be leading your country out in America. That must feel pretty cool when you look back on how it's gone for you. Yeah, look, I say I've been very lucky to have a lot of good achievements, but my biggest one's been being captain of my country do you know what I mean because when you're a little when you're a little kid you don't you know I didn't have dreams of playing with Liverpool it was never something but what I did have dreams of was playing with Scotland because you never know what way your career is going to go and you wouldn't have dreams of playing with certain clubs you played with but it's just then the career goes but the one thing we have is we wanted to play for our country but then to captain your country is just a whole new level and the fact I've been able to do it in a pretty special time and a special era makes it even more special in the summer we could do And the great thing about playing for your country and being captain or whatever, when you play for Liverpool or anybody else, you make that crowd happy, but you actually make a nation happy.

1:12:39And it's not just football people. You make the whole nation, so you're meeting people 80 years old, going, well done, son, and great. So I've probably never seen it, but they know, you've got the chance to make all these people happy. It's a wonderful, wonderful feeling. You know, I wanted to mention, just before you go on, And AR26, how's it going with charity? Yeah, really good. I know you've been a big supporter of it, which is always appreciated. You've done a lovely message for our dinner in the summer. But yeah, it's going great. Obviously, we're just trying to build it more and more and more.

1:13:18It's not always easy at times in terms of always trying to get coaches and things like that to do it. But it's been great and it's been something that's been also what we spoke about earlier to take your mind off football and things. It's been great for me and my wife to at times take everything back and go back what do we want to do? What kind of difference do we want to try and make? We've helped a lot of people and we're very proud of that and we want to keep building it, we want to keep getting better and better at it and taking it even up and down the country even more and concentrating more on the free football coaching and things.

1:13:52I do believe, I think we all believe the gap's getting a bit bigger in terms of football coaching things that can become really expensive now and you know people that are from less fortunate areas shouldn't miss out on the chance to have these so that's what we kind of looked at over Covid we used Covid to kind of you know really put our values down on a piece of paper and kind of try and follow it so it's been a great journey for us and one that like I said I've really enjoyed and still enjoying it and hopefully we can just keep building it and hopefully we can get even more kids on the grass When you look back now how important would you say that Gordon and what he's done for you in your career has been to you I know he's just sat here and you'd be forced to say nice words it's hard for him to take the love it doesn't take me much to be nice about him but he gave me my opportunity on an international level from a relatively early stage not many managers would have gave somebody that opportunity 8 months only into pro and things like that he was brilliant for me giving me that debut at Poland we spoke about the words that he gave me before I went on I don't, I think I would have you know, if he didn't say the words I probably would have passed it back to Charlie Mulgrew Well that's a bad move Not give it back to Charlie What was Charlie?

1:15:08How did I pick Charlie? But you know it gave me then the confidence to just go and be who I was at Dundee United and to go and do that on the international stage and then obviously as a relationship I'd grown more and more belief playing me in big games against Ireland at home, England at home and things like that certainly still from a very early age I was absolutely gutted when he left Scotland, I think we all were at that time I always remember I always remember when he'd left I think Frank had texted us all and said he's not sure whether he's wanting to stay, going to text him, we all text him and I think the SFA got rid of you anyway Absolutely they did, yes But we were all gutted because he was the person It was a great job and it's great to see for me you'll become a coach and then you just see people doing well and you can sit with him in your cup of tea watching and going I know him and he was a great kid it's great to do that it's one of the great things I've been our age and looking back and seeing guys doing well but I've got to bring up something that's not what happened to you do you know not once during this whole interview did he ever say he was proving anybody wrong he just flew through and whatever knocked back in his life he just kept going and he was so and it looks like in his hand he was so happy making being a good team mate that he's ended up here it just shows you don't have to go for yourself and make yourself better make everybody better you'll end up being a top top player in the World Cup any tickets?

1:16:40nice anything you got more nice nice

1:16:52Strix. How are you doing? It's too long. I know, I know. Come on, give us a hug. Come on, Strix. We used to fight like that. Yeah, but Strix was running in the ring, and I swear to you, it's funny. What do you do to us when we were playing Barassel and we were trying to get going, you and Gary McAllister and that was too good. Really good midfield. It's frightening playing against him. He changes completely. Most of us change, right? The devil in us comes up. But he was ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous. I've always felt like, you know, coming into the game, the time I came in at 22, I always felt like I was catching up.

1:17:27I just, honestly, I didn't care. You know what I mean? You know what? This is what I was going to say to you about when you're playing against Messi. It's funny what it is as well. Because I just do stupid things. But, like, you see what you've done with Messi. Yeah. That's the kind of thing that I would, because while I'm on there, if I was on there with, I don't see it as Messi. I just see it as an opportunity to just press his head down. Do you know what I mean? And then afterwards, people say, what did you do that for? Because even Messi, I saw him push you and he's like, what's up with you?

1:17:52We're just playing. Yeah. But like, I don't, I couldn't understand how much I changed. It meant so much. I was right on the edge. I was too on the edge some of the times. This is where like, you know, people are saying that. No, you went over the edge. I went over the edge. You just get that right. You went over the edge. That's what the pitch does to you, doesn't it? It does. It does it to every one of us. Yeah. As a manager, coach, player, fan. Yeah, exactly. The worst in us comes out in the football field and then we go home and become decent people. What happened there? Would I really say that to him?

1:18:22I did, yeah, okay, right. I wouldn't change anything for me. I wouldn't change anything. No, in your life? Because that's absolutely not. Absolutely nothing. That's probably the best out of you, do you know what I mean? Yeah. That's what you have to find. Absolutely not.