Scotland captain Andy Robertson is aiming to become a European champion for the second time when Liverpool play Real Madrid in Paris on Saturday.
The former Queen’s Park and Dundee United left-back will be taking his part in his third Champions League final since signing for the English Premier League giants in 2017.
As well as winning the continent’s flagship tournament in 2019, the 28-year-old has also lifted the FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League title, and captained his country to their first major championships in 23 years, all in the last five years.
On Saturday night he will line-up against the mighty Real Madrid in a rematch of the 2017 final when the Spanish champions, who are aiming for a record 14th European Cup win in Paris, ran out 3-1 winners.
The pair also met at the Parc des Princes in 1981 when left-back Alan Kennedy was the unlikely match-winner in a 1-0 victory as Liverpool in what was their third final in five seasons.
The latest match will be a third final in five years for Jurgen Klopp’s side but Robertson has not had any thoughts about reprising the Kennedy role.
He said: “As soon as we got to the final, there were a lot of people who sent me this (video) or said they were going to bet 1-0 Liverpool and me scoring.
“I don’t think I have come across him (Kennedy). Maybe one day I will and we can talk about that goal and how he did it.
“He scored a wonderful goal that managed to win Liverpool the Champions League, if I do that, I do that. But I am more focused on trying to put in a good performance, trying to be solid defensively.
“If we get a good basis then I will let someone else try and be the hero. That for me is the most important thing.”
The just four days after the final he will be back in Glasgow to lead Scotland out at Hampden against Ukraine in a bid to qualify for their first men’s World Cup since 1998.
If they beat Ukraine then they will have to overcome Wales in Cardiff to book their place in Qatar and a group that contains England, Iran and USA.
Last week Sky Sports pundit, and former Manchester United captain, Gary Neville said Roberston was the best full-back in the English Premier League “by a country mile”.
That came almost 10 years to the day since Robertson sent his now famous tweet “Life at this age is rubbish with no money #needajob” as an 18-year-old having graduated from Queen’s Park’s academy.
But he insists he is still improving.
He said: “I think anywhere I have been, every club I have always tried to learn,”.
“I have never ever thought ‘I am the finished article, this is me now, this is as good as I am going to get’.
“Whether my best days have been and gone or whether they are still to come, I don’t know but what I do know is every day I try to improve.
“Probably I am my worst critic, to be honest, and that sometimes is my downfall in terms of certain games or certain things happening, I beat myself up probably more than I maybe should and maybe should have a better perspective on it.
“But I can’t change that and I try make that work for me instead of not work for me because if I am harsh on myself then I can drive myself on.”
The 2022 Champions League final will kick-off at 8pm on Saturday night.
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