The left-back spot has been Liverpool’s Achilles heel ever since John Arne Riise left the Merseyside club in the summer of 2008. Since then, a number of players such as Jose Enrique, Andrea Dossena, Fabio Aurelio and Alberto Moreno have all tried to fill the shoes of the Norwegian but have crumbled under the high expectations of the Anfield crowd.
With Moreno struggling to find form in the 2016-17 campaign for the Reds, Jurgen Klopp decided to bring in a relatively unknown Scottish prospect Andrew Robertson from Hull City last summer. The 24-year-old initially struggled to find first-team minutes at the Merseyside club, but an unfortunate injury to Moreno gave him the chance to showcase his talents under the bright lights of Anfield for the first time against Crystal Palace last season.
The Scottish youngster grabbed the opportunity with both hands and kept improving under the watchful eye of Klopp. As the season went on, Robertson managed to develop his all-around game and was finally successful in keeping Moreno out of the Reds first-team on a weekly basis. His pace and work ethic down the left flank was a joy to watch! The Reds rising star also managed to grow a telepathic understanding with Sadio Mane while operating in and around the opposition box.
The Scottish sensation notched up with his first assist for the club in an away fixture against Bournemouth last season which helped his team thump the Cherries by a four-goal margin. His rapid emergence and subsequent development went under the radar as the Merseyside club narrowly missed out on their 6th European trophy when they suffered the heartbreak of losing to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final earlier this year.
However, Robertson ended the previous season with one goal and five assists to his name in 30 appearances for the Merseyside giants. This season, he picked up where he left off and once again showcased his capability when his trademark late run into the box was picked up by Naby Keita. His inch-perfect cross set up Mohamed Salah who scored the opening goal of the game against West Ham United on Sunday.
Robertson’s rapid rise to the top has been down to sheer hard-work with the Scotsman also possessing all the qualities of sound, modern-day full-back. It is about time the Premier League kept an eye out for one of it’s rising stars as Robertson has the potential to break into the PFA Team of The Season if he keeps up the same level of performance on a consistent basis.
