- Former Liverpool star Dean Saunders has offered his thoughts on Robertson
- He still believes he’s among the world’s best at left-back
- He has urged him to stay at Anfield, despite outside interest
Former Liverpool attacker Dean Saunders has suggested that Reds star Andy Robertson is still among the “world’s best”, despite a bumpy 2025/26 season in and out of Arne Slot’s first team plans.
With the news that Mohamed Salah is officially leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, punching Reds fans in the gut, the worry now is that Robertson could follow suit and depart when the campaign is over.
Indeed, it has long been speculated that Robertson might join boyhood club Celtic when his Liverpool contract expires this approaching June, with his first-team minutes significantly drying up.
In the Premier League this season, the once guaranteed name on the teamsheet has only started six games, with Milos Kerkez often preferred on the left channel, to the ageing Scotsman.
This isn’t to say the 32-year-old hasn’t shown off his clear class in spurts, with a goal and an assist collected in March, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, in the FA Cup, showing off Robertson at his free-flowing best on the left channel.
Yet, despite these glimpses of quality still poking through, Robertson could be the next high-profile exit from Anfield.
Ex-Liverpool striker Dean Saunders has leapt to the veteran defender’s defence, when speaking to AceOdds.com, with the Welshman a firm believer that Robertson remains one of the world’s best in his position, despite all the hurdles coming his way this season.
Saunders’ positive comments on Robertson
Saunders has urged Robertson to stay put at Anfield, amid Tottenham Hotspur also allegedly being interested in his services, with the 61-year-old pundit insisting that he still has more to give on Merseyside.
He has been left bemused by Slot’s decision to start Kerkez ahead of him, with Robertson arguably in his “prime” now, according to Saunders.
He said: “Robertson is 32 years old, so he should be in his prime as a defender. Defenders are different from strikers.
“They use their experience and get wiser, so he is in his prime now. I just don’t get why Milos Kerkez is playing in front of him. I don’t get it.
“If you asked me to mention the four best left backs in the world, I would mention Robertson. He is that good. People would come back and say that he struggled last season, but it is simply not true. Liverpool won the league and only lost two games, so he couldn’t be that bad, could he?”
“They signed Kerkez but in my opinion he just shouldn’t play. I think he should be training for 12 months, being behind Robertson, and watching Robertson play so he will be able to do the same things one day. He has to listen to the manager and learn how to play the Liverpool way.”
He has further suggested that the likes of Virgil Van Dijk would prefer to have someone like Robertson on the left flank, next to them, over Kerkez, as the Dutchman knows he can rely on the Glaswegian to deliver.
Saunders states: “But he is already on the team, and I just have to say that if you asked Virgil van Dijk who he wants to his left, his answer would be Robertson with no hesitation.”
“In fact, it would be the same scenario if you asked Ibrahima Konate who he wants to his right. He would say that he wants Trent Alexander-Arnold next to him, but that is another discussion.”
This is all arguably harsh on the Hungarian, who has shown he belongs in the first team picture this season at Anfield, after completing a £40m move from AFC Bournemouth.
He even bagged this instinctive effort during Liverpool’s final game before the international break intervened, as Slot likely sticks by the 22-year-old for the Reds’ upcoming FA Cup showdown with Manchester City.
If it were up to the former Liverpool attacker, though, Robertson would be the first team figure down the left flank every match, with Saunders praising the 32-year-old’s attitude as “fantastic”, as he’s had to grow used to a lack of first-team action, quickly.
He concludes: “Andy Robertson should be playing for Liverpool for another two years at least. If he can’t stay at Liverpool or if he doesn’t get the minutes, I wouldn’t go to Celtic.
“He is too good for that, and if I was him I would join another top six club in the Premier League. If I was any other club in the top six I would sign him.
“His attitude is fantastic. Not once has he complained, but I can tell you that he is thinking that he just lost a year of his football life. He has been sitting in the stands. He is a professional but he has to be disappointed.”
Robertson is a clear fan favourite, having lifted two Premier League titles on Merseyside, but at 32, it’s not the greatest shock to see Slot prefer fresh blood.
It will be intriguing to see what happens with the beloved Scotsman over the summer, with another Salah-style exit potentially on the cards.
