It’s time for me to move on: Andy Robertson to leave Liverpool at end of season

Andy Robertson described his Liverpool career as a “hell of a journey” as he announced a trophy-laden nine years at Anfield will end this summer.

Robertson, 32, will leave the club at the end of his contract after making 373 appearances, winning two Premier League titles, a Champions League, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Community Shield.

But the Scotland captain has been limited to just 15 starts this season following the arrival of Milos Kerkez, and admitted he knew the time had come to depart.

“It’s never easy leaving a club like Liverpool, it has been a huge part of mine and my family’s life for the last nine years,” Robertson said on the club’s website. “But, for me, players move on, other people move on – the thing that stays the same is the club and obviously the fans.

“I’ve had an amazing nine years here. I think it has been well-documented, especially over the last year or so, I’ve had opportunities to leave and I’ve not taken them because of how difficult it is to leave this club. And I wouldn’t change that for the world.

“But I know football moves on, I know teams move on, and I think now is the time for me to move on and go wherever my next move is and wherever my career takes me.

“I’ll always look back on amazing memories at this football club, I’ve put my heart and soul into the club for nine years and I’ve not got many regrets. I’ve grown as a man and as a person. This club will always mean the world to me, the fans will mean the world to me. It has been a hell of a journey.”

Glasgow-born Robertson joined Liverpool from freshly relegated Hull in an £8million deal in 2017, and a player released by boyhood club Celtic quickly set a marker when he was named man of the match on his debut, a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Robertson had to wait to establish himself as first-choice under Jurgen Klopp but eventually supplanted Alberto Moreno and made the left-back spot his own, with the combination he formed with Trent Alexander-Arnold operating at right-back key to Liverpool’s success under their German manager.

“I’ll let other people say if I’m a Liverpool legend or not – I think you know me well enough that I will never accept that,” Robertson said.

“But from minute one I came into this football club, I wanted to be successful. I wanted to try to bring trophies back to this football club, try to help put us back on to a place where I believe this football club belongs.

“I’m very proud that I’ve been a part of fantastic teams that have been able to do that. The club means everything to me.”

Robertson’s announcement was made the day after he came off the bench in a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Paris St Germain, and with Arne Slot’s side fifth in the Premier League, he admitted it has “not been the season we’ve wanted”.

“I’m still fully focused on trying to end this season as positively as possible, to help these lads and to try to give a few more good moments to the fans,” Robertson said.

“That’s my aim and hopefully then we can do it, and maybe closer to the end of the season you’ll have me down a camera crying my eyes out.”