Andy Robertson: I plan to captain Scotland at a major tournament

The Liverpool defender explained today that he was inspired by a video released by the Scottish Football Association after his appointment as skipper.

The film on social media of Graeme Souness, Billy Bremner, Archie Gemmill, George Young, Colin Hendry and a certain Alex McLeish wearing the armband struck a chord with Robertson.

“When the announcement was made, you see all the names that have captained this country,” said the 24-year-old. “For me to go on that list – it’s a special list and I hope by the end of my captaincy that I’m in the same breath as them.

“Technically I am just now, but I haven’t achieved anything that they have. There is still a long way to go but I’m hopeful that, when the time comes to hang up my boots, I can be in the same sentence as some of the names that were on that.”

Robertson is in no doubt about his primary aim as Scotland captain: “For the country, it has to be getting back to championships. Too long has passed when we have not managed to qualify. The captains before me would have said the exact same thing.

“I spoke to Darren Fletcher when he wasn’t playing, near the end, and that was his biggest disappointment – that he hadn’t managed to get us back to a World Cup or a Euros. I don’t want that to be me.

“I want us to manage to get to a championship and lead the boys out. We’ve got a great chance here. Hopefully we can do it at the first time of asking.”

Scotland face Belgium in a friendly tonight and Albania in the Nations League on Monday. Last time Robertson encountered the Belgians was when he handed Vincent Kompany a programme whilst working at a Scotland game in his teens - as a Queen’s Park player at the time. “Yeah, I was working at the last game, a lot has happened since then,” he smiled.