Ally McCoist has backed newly appointed Scotland captain Andy Robertson to go down in history as one of the iconic leaders of the Scottish national side.
Liverpool left-back Robertson, who’s had a remarkable year on Merseyside following his move from Hull City last summer, was confirmed to be the latest Scotland captain on Monday, following the international retirement of previous skipper Scott Brown.
The 24-year old had initially found it hard to break into the first XI at Liverpool but was excellent in the second half of last season and played a key role in their surge towards the Champions League final.
Former Scotland striker McCoist believes manager Alex McCleish has made the correct call in selecting Robertson as his next captain and is expecting big things from the Liverpool defender.
“He’s a guy who always leads by example and, if you look at Scotland captains of the past, every one of them led by example, going back to Billy Bremner and all these guys,” McCoist told BBC Sport.
“Wee Robertson will do just that. I speak to a lot of the Liverpool boys and they say he trains as he plays, which is a great example.
“It’s been a wee while since we had a really top, iconic Scottish player that we can all relate to and hold in great esteem.
Andrew Robertson’s last 9 Premier League games for Liverpool:
⚽ 1 goal
?️ 5 assistsShowing his class. pic.twitter.com/w0AOSD3EWx
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 1, 2018
“I am putting pressure on him here, but I just hope that, with continued success, we can be talking about him in the same way we do with a Kenny Dalglish or a Gordon McQueen – great Scotland players – and I’d be surprised if that wasn’t the case.”
Eyebrows were raised when Jürgen Klopp decided Robertson was the left-back he wanted before the start of the 2017/18 season but the Scotsman has certainly not let him down and has already registered two assists this season.
“When you think, four or five years ago, Robertson was playing for Queen’s Park, it’s been a brilliant journey,” McCoist added.
“He’s a wonderful choice as captain and what an example for younger kids to look at. There you go, from Queen’s Park to the Champions League final and now captaining your country. A brilliant story.”