Andy Robertson made his way to see a new mural dedicated to him near Anfield, marking a week of celebration for the player who arrived from relegated Hull City and went on to become one of Liverpool’s finest left-backs. True to his nature, Robertson preferred to stay away from the spotlight, content to play a supporting role even at his own farewell. Yet fans, past teammates, and current colleagues have poured out heartfelt tributes to him.

The night before, Robertson had opened a farewell gift from a friend now based in Madrid. “Last night's emotional part,” he shared. “Trent [Alexander-Arnold] got me a gift which nearly tipped me over the edge.” The present was a photo of the two celebrating their 2019 Champions League victory together.

The pair were Liverpool’s dynamic full-backs, constantly pushing each other to new heights. Robertson once held the Premier League record for most assists by a defender—until Alexander-Arnold broke it. “We both took each other to levels we didn’t expect,” Robertson said with a smile. “Because of our competitive nature, we always wanted to outdo each other, but it wasn’t like I was upset when he did something amazing. It was more like, ‘if he’s produced an incredible cross, I want to do that too’. We just went on the best journey together.”

That journey has one final stop—Anfield, on Sunday, against Brentford. It will also be Mohamed Salah’s farewell. “I’m glad that one of our Egyptian friends might take a bit more of the limelight and I’m totally fine with that,” Robertson said. “I can just slip under the radar.”

It was typical of the selfless Scot that he wasn’t only thinking of Salah. He also hoped for a warm reception for another Liverpool great. “I really hope Hendo gets a pretty special ovation on Sunday,” Robertson said. “What he did for this club, how he led us to those trophies—Hendo was instrumental.”

Jordan Henderson was among the few people, outside Robertson’s family, whom he spoke to before confirming his exit from Liverpool. James Milner was another. Now, as he prepares for life after Liverpool, he follows a path taken by several of his close friends—Henderson, Milner, Alexander-Arnold, Adam Lallana, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

“This is one of the biggest clubs in the world,” Robertson said. “This club is unique. Stepping away will always be hard. You’ll always miss it. But happiness can be found elsewhere—many have shown that. I was on FaceTime with Ox the other day. He’s just won the league with Celtic. He’s absolutely buzzing.”

Robertson’s generosity showed again when he spoke of Oxlade-Chamberlain as Liverpool’s best player until his serious knee injury in the 2018 Champions League semi-final. Likewise, despite losing his starting spot to Milos Kerkez this season, he has no bitterness. “I leave with no regrets, no resentment,” he said. “There was no contract offer, and everything was discussed openly. I had conversations with Richard [Hughes, director of football] and even with Mike Gordon [president of Fenway Sports Group].”

That wasn’t the first difficult talk Robertson faced at Liverpool. He remembered, a few months after joining, nervously approaching Jurgen Klopp about not getting playing time. “I was s***ing myself,” he admitted. His debut had gone brilliantly. “Even in my first game against Crystal Palace, when I heard my song sung, I thought, ‘Are they singing about someone else?’ I think only me and Freddie Woodman have had that. Then Jurgen put me in a cupboard for four months,” he laughed.

When he finally got his chance, Robertson became Liverpool’s relentless left-back. Jose Mourinho once joked that just watching him made him tired. Manchester City learned that firsthand in January 2018, when Robertson’s famous solo press saw him close down five players in one sequence. “I still don’t think it’s a foul,” he said of his challenge on Nicolas Otamendi. “Everyone still talks about that moment because it showed I could be Liverpool’s left-back for years. I think fans left the stadium that day thinking, ‘we’ve got a proper left-back now’. That’s when I felt I truly belonged in a Liverpool shirt.”

Since then, Robertson has made 377 appearances and lifted nine trophies. One memory stands above all. “The [2019] Champions League final stands out—the whole day, the night, and the parade the next day with your best mates,” he said. “That was the best 24 to 28 hours of my life—apart from my kids and my marriage, I should say that on record. In football terms, it was unbelievable.”

That triumph symbolised Liverpool’s rise. “When our journey began, Mo Salah wasn’t signed as the best winger in the world. Virgil van Dijk had the potential but wasn’t yet the best centre-back. Alisson wasn’t the best goalkeeper. Trent wasn’t the best right-back. We all grew together from the bottom to the top, and climbing that mountain together was the best feeling ever.”

Robertson never claimed to be the best left-back in the world, though many considered him just that. “I’m happy for you to write that,” he joked. “Just being in that conversation was unbelievable—I knew I was performing at a really high level.”

Between 2018 and 2022, few full-backs could match him. He helped Liverpool end their 30-year wait for a league title. Robertson regrets that they couldn’t celebrate properly at Anfield due to Covid, though he and Alexander-Arnold savoured last season’s Premier League campaign.

By then, most of his core group—Henderson, Milner, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain—had moved on. Another teammate, Diogo Jota, was tragically lost, and Robertson, who was close to him, deeply felt the loss. “We can’t hide from it. It’s not an excuse, but what we went through in the summer, no team or staff should ever experience. The devastation was unbearable… football didn’t matter,” he said. “We didn’t care about football for weeks. None of us wanted to train. You’d get treatment from physios who didn’t even want to be there. That was the reality. But as footballers, we had to keep going—and we did.”

Now, Robertson looks ahead. This summer, he will lead Scotland at their first World Cup in 28 years. But before that, there’s one final match in Liverpool red. “You can feel proud of what you’ve achieved,” he said. “Looking back on my nine years, I know I’ve given absolutely everything.”