Andy Robertson turned down an offer from Atletico Madrid in order to stay at Liverpool this season, with the vice-captain explaining his difficult decision.
Robertson finds himself, for the first time since taking over as first-choice left-back in 2017, in an uncertain position when it comes to game time at Liverpool.
With Milos Kerkez arriving as Arne Slot‘s new go-to starter, the Scot has been demoted to the role of backup, which has limited him to just two substitute appearances so far this season.
That comes after interest from Atletico Madrid over the summer, with many expecting Robertson would take the opportunity to remain a key player in Spain.
But speaking to BBC Sport Scotland this week, the 31-year-old explaining that his “heart was still in Liverpool.”
“We had options and we just worked through it as a family,” the Scotland captain said.
“Everything boiled down to that my heart was still in Liverpool and we wanted to stay.
“We’re very settled there and we’re at one of the biggest clubs in the world.”
Robertson’s choice to stay is one that highlights the many factors behind the decisions footballers make over potential transfers, particularly as they get older and family becomes their priority.
His call to remain at Anfield was rewarded as Slot opted to name him Liverpool’s new vice-captain, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
That ensures he will retain an important role in the squad even though his game time is reduced – though as he continued, Robertson outlined his hopes for an increase in minutes after the international break.
“The season’s long, there’s plenty of games, and I believe I’ll play plenty of games,” he continued.
“Now whether is the case or not, nobody can look into the future unfortunately, nobody can see that.
“Obviously in the summer I had a think about what I wanted and what I wanted to do, and I came to the decision, committed to the decision, and I’m happy to be there.
“Pre-season I came back in really good shape, trained really well and maybe not got the game time I maybe would have liked in the first part of the season, but that’s part and parcel of it.
“I believe when we come back and we’ve got lots of games, hopefully I can play more games.
“So I’ve missed the feeling of playing games, I’m used to be being a regular starter for so many years, and it’s been a bit of a difficult transition.
“But I think I’ve dealt with it fairly well. It’s just about trying to look after yourself, keep yourself as fit as possible, mentally staying as sharp as possible, and I’ve done that in training.
“Then coming away here, I’m excited to be away with Scotland now, get games under my belt – obviously there are no bigger games than World Cup qualifiers – then let’s see what happens when we go back to Liverpool.”
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