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Andy Robertson says Scotland are aiming to be “the workforce that creates historical past” at Euro 2024 by getting previous the group stage of a serious event for the primary time.
Scotland, who’ve certified for a second consecutive European Championships, open the event towards hosts Germany in Munich on Friday June 14, with Hungary and Switzerland additionally in Group A alongside Steve Clarke’s facet.
After a disappointing group stage in Euro 2020 the place their solely level got here from a 0-0 draw towards England, Robertson believes reaching the knockout phases in Germany could be a large step ahead for Scotland.
“Our purpose is to be the workforce that creates historical past,” the Liverpool defender mentioned. “We now have to purpose to get out the group, that must be our purpose.
“We have a look at the group, it is a powerful group, it is a aggressive group. However we imagine that we may give any workforce a recreation and if we try this and we handle to get out of the group, then we are the first Scotland workforce to ever try this.”
He added: “We have been making an attempt to create our personal historical past, we have been making an attempt to create our personal story inside a nation which have had a variety of good groups previously, a variety of legends of the sport.
“We try to create a small a part of historical past and we have managed to try this by qualifying for the 2 tournaments, however to have the ability to qualify from the group could be a large step and it could excel us even additional and provides us much more perception than we have already obtained.”
‘Euro 2020 a studying curve for Scotland’
Euro 2020, which was performed in the summertime of 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, was Scotland’s first look at a serious event in 23 years.
Scotland opened the event with a 2-0 defeat towards Czech Republic at Hampden Park earlier than the goalless draw with England at Wembley earlier than a 3-1 defeat to Croatia sealed their exit.
Regardless of the disappointing exit, Robertson believes he and his teammates have realized loads of classes from that marketing campaign.
“Clearly, the qualification was unbelievable however totally different as a result of it was behind closed doorways,” he mentioned. “The joy then began to construct, and we knew there was going to be followers again in some capability, however the world was nonetheless in fairly a bizarre, unusual place… so it was totally different nevertheless it was one which we regarded ahead to.
“The way in which it was lastly over for Scotland to be again at a serious event – it was nonetheless unusual as we nonetheless solely had 10,000 followers in Hampden which felt like 50,000 as a result of we might performed a full season with out anybody within the stadiums. However in the end it was one among disappointment after we obtained there.
“Clearly, we had the great end result at Wembley which put us ready the place we might have certified within the final recreation however in the end Croatia had been too good for us on the day. However the Czech Republic recreation, the opening recreation, was powerful to take as a result of we performed very well, created huge probabilities and we did not fairly take them and we obtained caught on the counter-attack – and that was us getting welcomed into how main tournaments work.
“It was a studying curve and a variety of us, a variety of the squad, are comparable and hopefully we have realized a lesson from that.”
Robertson bullish about Euro 2024 opener
In three weeks, Robertson shall be main Scotland out at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Area to tackle the hosts Germany within the Euro 2024 opener for what is bound to be an enormous event.
It is nothing new for the 30-year-old, who has featured in big matches for Liverpool lately, however he admits that it is going to be tough to deal with the Euro 2024 opener as simply one other recreation.
When requested what shall be going by way of his thoughts after he has led Scotland out in Munich and the nationwide anthem begins enjoying, he mentioned: “I feel the straightforward reply is to attempt to deal with it like a standard recreation, however I do not suppose that is doable.
“I feel it’s a special day, after all it’s – you are opening the event and I feel as soon as the nationwide anthem performs, there shall be a variety of Tartan Military in there – but additionally all of us shall be singing it loud and proud.
“The nationwide anthem in any recreation we play is a second of reflection, I all the time attempt to try this. I all the time attempt to have a look at the place I’ve come from, the individuals who have helped me on the way in which, I feel that shall be no totally different. However there shall be a sense round it, it is going to be a particular recreation, after all it is going to be.
“There shall be that feeling in your abdomen and that pleasure, and we do not need to take that away from all of us. You’ll be able to thrive on that and it is essential we use it to our benefit and never towards us.
“We’re in the end there for a end result, after all there’s going to be rather a lot occurring, the opening ceremony and issues like that, however in the end we’re there to get off to a superb begin within the event and that is what we’ll be absolutely targeted on when that recreation comes.”
Robertson to hitch Souness in unique membership
This shall be Robertson’s second main event, and the second as Scotland’s captain.
Up till now, solely Graeme Souness has captained the Scots in two tournaments, and Robertson insists it is going to be a “particular feeling” to hitch Souness in that unique membership.
When listening to in regards to the comparability with Souness, Robertson mentioned: “I did not know that. I do know Scotland certified for tournaments, however we’ve not carried out so in a very long time, however the truth that he is the one one who’s been captain twice… nicely, if I can be a part of him on that then that is a reasonably particular feeling and that is what we’re excited to do.
“We’re simply delighted to be at one other event and a lot of the squad that had been on the final one are going to be at this one.
“The actual fact we will characterize our nation at one other event is huge and each time I placed on the captain’s armband, it is the identical honour and it is the identical satisfaction.
“After the event and once I’m on my holidays, I will have that second of reflection and I will have the ability to look again on it with an actual sense of satisfaction.”
Key dates forward for Scotland
Monday June 3: Euro 2024 warm-up, Gibraltar vs Scotland at Estadio Algarve, Portugal; kick-off 5pm
Friday June 7: Euro 2024 warm-up, Scotland vs Finland at Hampden Park, Glasgow; kick-off 7.45pm
Friday June 7: Closing 26-player squad submitted to UEFA by 11pm
Saturday June 8: Closing 26-player squad introduced
Sunday June 9: Scotland squad fly to base camp within the Bavarian resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Scotland’s Euro 2024 schedule
Scotland have historical past kicking off tournaments, having been drawn to face Brazil within the opener at World Cup 1998, a recreation they narrowly misplaced 2-1 to a second-half Tom Boyd personal aim.
This time across the venue is the Munich Soccer Area [Allianz Arena] the place Steve Clarke’s facet kick-off the opening match of Euro 2024 towards hosts Germany on June 14.
Scotland additionally face video games towards perennial qualifiers Switzerland in Cologne on June 19, with Hungary – who reached the knockouts in 2016 – awaiting in Stuttgart on June 23.
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