Andy Robertson not only has the Champions League final ahead of him on Saturday, but then a huge World Cup play-off for Scotland against Ukraine next week, when he knows his side face a huge emotional test.
The Liverpool left-back takes on Real Madrid on Saturday in Paris and then must either recover from the disappointment of defeat or refocus after the high of victory in Glasgow on Wednesday 1 June.
Either Scotland or Ukraine will go on to play Wales for a place in the Qatar World Cup on 5 June, so it will be a physically and emotionally draining time for Robertson after most players have finished their seasons.
Given the horrors of the war in Ukraine, Robertson knows that Scotland’s opponents will have every scrap of neutral support around the globe, but he has reminded his teammates that they must put that aside and keep their World Cup hopes alive.
‘Probably everyone in the world wants Ukraine to win,’ said Robertson. ‘If it was any other country, I would probably want them to win but unfortunately they’re playing against my country and we have to stand in their way.
‘We know they’ll be up for it and we have to be ready for that challenge. They’ll be full of emotion and it’s important we deal with the occasion well and that our fans make an atmosphere that is supportive and as loud as Hampden’s been.
‘If we do that, it gives us the best possible chance to try and achieve our dream.’
Robertson is clear that Scotland will be as receptive as possible to their visitors before and after the match, but cannot let that impact their performance during the game, however appalling the reality facing Ukraine is.
‘When you watch it, it’s horrendous. You can’t avoid it, but we need to try and separate that,’ he said.
‘We’ll be so receptive of Ukraine before and after the game but during that 90 minutes, that 120 minutes, or whatever it takes, we have to be ready to fight for our dreams as well.
‘We’ll make sure that that’s the message. I can’t imagine what they are going through, but we have to be ready to battle. As players, we want to go to a World Cup.’
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