Andy Robertson makes Liverpool future admission and responds to persistent Celtic transfer rumours
Robertson will announce a decision on his future before the World Cup this summer
Scotland captain Andy Robertson has stressed he wants his Liverpool future to be resolved before he heads to the World Cup this summer - and responded to speculation linking him with a return to his boyhood heroes Celtic.
The 32-year-old defender, who will become his country’s joint second most capped player alongside Jim Leighton when he earns his 91st international cap in the friendly against Japan at Hampden this evening, is out of contract at Anfield at the end of the season.
Robertson has dipped in and out of Arne Slot’s starting XI throughout this season and has already held talks with club officials over a new deal in recent weeks but no agreement has yet been reached.
For the time being, his full focus is on performing to the best of his abilities for Steve Clarke’s side, but revealed that he will know for certain whether he will be extending his stay with the reigning Premier League champions or moving on by the time he jets across the Atlantic for the World Cup in North America.
“Will I make a decision before the World Cup?” he said. “Yeah, that will definitely happen. For me, I will make up my mind before the summer. It’s always been in my head that I don’t want it hanging over me.
“I think that’s important, I don’t think anyone wants that. Everyone would be in the same boat. If you’re out of contract and sign a new contract, or whatever you’re doing, you always want that sorted before you go into a big tournament.
“I have always worked towards that and have been consistent with that. It’s only eight or nine weeks, so from now until the end of the season. I’ll sit down with my family and see what we want. After that we’ll deal with whatever comes and take it from there.”
Robertson addresses persistent Celtic transfer rumours
Robertson grew up supporting Celtic as a kid and was involved in the youth set-up at Parkhead for six years before he was released aged 15 after being deemed too small to make it as a professional.
He has gone on to win the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League during his nine seasons in Merseyside. But speculation over his future has been rife amid recent links to Tottenham and Atletico Madrid as his contract situation rumbles on.
The full-back remained tight-lipped when quizzed about the prospect of returning to the East End of Glasgow, stating: “It’s not really one to talk about. Obviously I was at Celtic as a kid and had a season ticket, that’s not a secret. But it’s not something I really want to get into.
“The options that are on the table for me at the minute will stay private and that’s the way I’ve always done it. People can talk and there’s been a lot of talk around it, where I’m going to go next. I’ve seen it, but I stay away from it all now.
“That’s part and parcel of it. Me and my wife have had a good laugh about some of it to be honest. Let’s see what happens, what the next destination is and take it from there.”