The newly-appointed captain says he wants to take his country to a major tournament while wearing the armband
New Scotland captain Andy Robertson has set his sights on qualification for a major tournament as he seeks to etch his name into the national team’s football history.
The Liverpool left-back has been handed the armband by manager Alex McLeish and is aiming to lead Scotland to a first finals appearance since the 1998 World Cup in France.
He also revealed that a conversation with former captain and Stoke City midfielder Darren Fletcher helped shape and solidify his ambition for the national team.
“For the country, [the aim] has to be getting back to championships. Too long has passed when we have not managed to qualify,” Robertson told the Edinburgh Evening News ahead of Scotland’s glamour friendly with World Cup semi-finalists Belgium on Friday at Hampden Park.
“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.”
The former Hull City defender has also explained how special it is to be given the armband and join the list of historic names to lead his nation.
He added: “When the announcement was made, you see all the names that have captained this country.
“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 [list].”
Robertson’s first competitive game as skipper sees Scotland host Albania in their maiden UEFA Nations League fixture on Monday.
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