Andy Robertson was not yet born when Sir Kenny Dalglish resigned from his first managerial stint at Liverpool in 1991. Yet when Robertson arrived at Anfield in 2017, he understood immediately the weight of the Scottish legacy he was inheriting.

In a BBC interview alongside Kelly Cates and her father Dalglish, Robertson reflected on his early days at the club. "When I first signed, all the names were thrown at me," he told Cates. "Your dad, Alan Hansen and [Graeme] Souness... I know the Liverpool fans do love a Scottish player in their team. And I know usually if there's a Scottish player, it brings a bit of success as well."

Dalglish's extraordinary Liverpool legacy

The bond between Liverpool and Scotland stretches back to the era of legendary manager Bill Shankly, and no living figure commands more reverence on the Kop than Dalglish. Across an initial 14-year period as captain and then player-manager, Dalglish scored 172 goals and helped deliver 18 major trophies, among them eight league titles and three European Cups.

Robertson, whose final match at Anfield falls on Sunday, departs as the latest Scot to leave an indelible mark on the club. Jurgen Klopp signed him from Hull City for £8 million in 2017 — a remarkable piece of business given Robertson had been playing in Scotland's fourth tier with Queen's Park just four years earlier.

Redefining the full-back role

Over nine years at Liverpool, the 32-year-old reshaped what it means to play left-back at the highest level, first under Klopp and then under Arne Slot. He has accumulated 60 Premier League assists — the second most by any defender in the competition's history, behind only former team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold. Nine major trophies followed, including two league titles and the Champions League.

Dalglish described him as "a great credit" to Liverpool, and Robertson's reputation is that of a player who gave everything, every time. With an eye on Robertson's impending cap milestone, the 75-year-old Dalglish added a characteristically sharp note: "I'm just a wee bit upset with the number of caps you've got with Scotland. And I think you should retire after the World Cup!" Robertson is 10 caps short of equalling Dalglish's Scottish record of 102, and will captain Scotland at their first men's World Cup in 28 years after Sunday's farewell.

Tragedy that bound two eras

Both men share painful links to tragedy. Dalglish was manager during the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool supporters, and the compassion he showed to bereaved families remains etched in the club's memory. He had also been part of the Liverpool squad at the 1985 European Cup final, before which 39 people died and 600 were injured in a crowd crush.

Robertson faced his own grief last summer when his friend and team-mate Diogo Jota died in a car crash, shortly after Liverpool had clinched their 20th league title. "None of us cared about football," Robertson told Cates, describing the toll Jota's death took on the squad.

He believes the tragedy contributed to Liverpool's inconsistency throughout this season, though he stopped short of using it as an excuse. "We have let ourselves down this season and we're not hiding away from that fact," he said. "Our performances haven't been good enough at times." Liverpool head into Sunday's final match sitting fifth in the Premier League.

Near-misses that fuelled success

Robertson's time at Liverpool was not without anguish on the pitch, either. Twice under Klopp, Liverpool finished a single point behind champions Manchester City — including a 2018-19 campaign in which they racked up 97 points. Two Champions League final defeats to Real Madrid added to the pain.

Yet Klopp's response after a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in Kyiv in 2018 became a rallying cry. Robertson recalled the German telling his squad: "This is just the start of our journey. We'll be back here next year." Liverpool returned to win the Champions League in Madrid in 2019, then followed up with the Premier League title the following year — ending a 30-year wait.

When Klopp departed, Slot inherited a squad that had plenty left to prove. "We wanted to prove to the world that Liverpool could carry on without the amazing manager Klopp," said Robertson. Slot duly led them to the title in his debut season, equalling Manchester United's record of 20 English top-flight titles.

Farewell alongside Salah

Sunday's clash with Brentford will mark the end of Robertson's Liverpool career, and also that of Mohamed Salah. The 33-year-old Egyptian signed in the same transfer window as Robertson and departs as the club's third-highest scorer of all time, having netted 257 goals across nine years.

A result that avoids a heavy defeat — combined with a Bournemouth win — will secure Champions League football for next season, something Robertson called the "bare minimum" expectation. Despite the frustration of a campaign that promised more, he remains bullish about Liverpool's prospects. "I'm optimistic that this group of lads can bring success," he said. "They've just needed time to adapt."