Andy Robertson has explained his decision to join Tottenham Hotspur following the expiry of his Liverpool contract. The Scotland international called time on a nine-year stint at Anfield, having fallen behind Milos Kerkez in the pecking order during his final season on Merseyside.
January interest and eventual move
Spurs had been interested in signing the left-back in January, only for both Liverpool and Robertson to decide it would be best for him to see out the campaign at Anfield. But with Tottenham retaining their interest, the 32-year-old needed little convincing to join the North London outfit on a Bosman transfer once his Anfield contract expired.
“I’m excited to be here… I was very fortunate, I’ve not had to do it (move clubs) for so long. Being at one club for nine years is a long time. But it’s also exciting,” Robertson said.
Why Tottenham
“It’s perfect for this time in my career and that’s why when the opportunity came up to join, I was excited to go for it and now that I’m here, I’m excited to keep progressing in my career and keep doing good things. Hopefully I can do that in a Tottenham shirt.”
“I don’t think that it’s a secret that it nearly happened in January and it didn’t for one reason or another. But then once the January window closed, a lot of options came away. It was all about making the right decision. I just think this club is a massive club with an amazing training ground, amazing stadium and a big fanbase. I’ve played here plenty of times and I know that the supporters get right behind their team.”
Roberto De Zerbi influence
Robertson also admitted that the opportunity to work with Roberto De Zerbi — who previously managed his former Liverpool team-mates James Milner and Adam Lallana at Brighton & Hove Albion — played a decisive role in his decision to sign for Spurs.
“The manager is a huge pull,” he told the club. “I’ve had chats with him, I’ve had a phone call with him and both him and his staff seem so good at what they do and how they want to play. It was a great phone call. We know of each other – he knows me as a player, I know him as a manager and it was just more that we were excited to work with each other.”
“He’s well-known in world football for being a fantastic manager and the fact that he’s here, hopefully I can do really good things under him. I think this is a club that’s going places and it's the perfect time for me to be a part of it.”
