Andy Robertson
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool have extended Andy Robertson’s stay at the club by tying the Scottish international down to a new five-year deal that runs till the summer of 2024.
Robertson arrived at Anfield from Hull City in the summer of 2017 for a fee in the region of £8million and has since then established himself as a first team regular ahead of Alberto Moreno.
The 24-year-old was instrumental in Liverpool’s surge to the finals of the UEFA Champions League last season and he has been in fine form this term as well. Robertson has impressed as an integral part of the Liverpool backline that has only shipped 13 goals in 23 Premier League games so far. The Scotsman has helped the Reds establish a four-point advantage over reigning champions Manchester City at the top of the table.
As a matter of fact, Liverpool didn’t have to convince the player to commit his long-term future to the club. Instead, Robertson has revealed in an exclusive interview that he signed the contract as soon as it was offered to him. The Scotsman further stated that it was an easy decision, a virtual no-brainer for him to put pen to paper on a new deal. (h/t Sky Sports)
In all honesty, the long-term contract is a win-win situation for both parties involved. While Robertson has taken his game to a new level and has largely impressed with his performances at the back, Liverpool can rest assured over the future of one of their prized assets. He has proven to be a massive bargain and will continue to take the club to greater heights in the foreseeable future.
It won’t be an exaggeration to claim that Robertson is one for the best left-backs, if not, the best in the Premier League. The Scotsman has proved time and again with his consistent displays that he is not just about defending. In fact, he plays an equally important role in Jurgen Klopp’s system in the attacking phase.
Robertson has a sound positional sense for a full-back and is rarely caught out of position. He is also known for his ability to break up the play and put the opposition off with perfectly timed crunching tackles, often keeping his composure in precarious one-on-one situations to rescue his team.
While he likes to stay close to the opposition attackers in the defensive phase of play, Robertson has the ability to bomb forward with pace and launch counter-attacks after winning back possession.
However, he is not a one-trick pony by any means. One of Robertson’s most impressive attributes is his wonderful range of passing.
While he is adept at playing out from the back with short exchanges with his teammates, the Scotsman often releases the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah with perfectly weighted long balls to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye. Hence, he is also a key component of Liverpool’s attack, providing width down the left and linking up with the forwards to create the openings.
Robertson has averaged 67.1 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 83, including 2.3 successful long balls and 1.4 key passes. Furthermore, he has averaged 2.4 tackles and 1.6 clearances per game in the Premier League this term, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded abilities as a full-back.
Robertson is yet to register a goal this season but he already has 4 assists to his name in the Premier League. To be honest, he has shown incredible levels of fitness and has outperformed the likes of Luke Shaw, Nacho Monreal, Danny Rose, Benjamin Mendy and Marcos Alonso.
Along with Virgil van Dijk, the Scotsman has solved Liverpool’s defensive woes, a weakness that prevented the Reds from posting a real challenge for the Premier League title in the past. With Robertson at the back, the Reds definitely look a much more organised and formidable unit that is capable of rubbing shoulders with the best in Europe. Having tied him down to a new contract, Liverpool can look forward to bringing back the glory of the yesteryears.