Liverpool defender was in Homebase the day after last season’s Champions League final. He hopes to be celebrating this time

Kiev is boxed off and parked in the past for Andy Robertson, whose shuddering return to earth after last season’s Champions League final included buying a barbecue in Homebase the following day, but the brutal lesson in what it takes to win European football’s greatest prize has not been forgotten. That much is clear in his blunt dismissal of the theory that Liverpool’s season of 97 Premier League points and the greatest comeback in Anfield’s European history deserves a crowning glory.

“I’ve heard a few people say that but, for me, we don’t deserve anything yet,” says the Scotland captain. “The Premier League shows that. A lot of people would say 97 points deserves the Premier League but it didn’t because Manchester City got 98. They were that little bit better than us in the end. We deserve nothing, only what we put into the game and what we get out. If we have 100% effort and have a good game, play to our best, then we’ll deserve it. But we aren’t going into the game thinking we deserve it because we’ve had a good season and got 97 points. Never. That’d be stupid of us.”

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Robertson’s single-mindedness reflects Liverpool’s business-like approach to Saturday’s final against Tottenham. There was a noticeable reluctance among Jürgen Klopp and his players to dwell on Liverpool’s European history, recent or otherwise, at the club’s media day on Tuesday. History is theirs to make, as the manager likes to say, and Klopp captured the different mindset perfectly with his admission that, whereas Liverpool were happy to be in Kiev last May, “this year we wanted to win it wherever it is”. In that vein, the left-back is content for others to talk about following in the footsteps of players such as Alan Kennedy while he focuses on winning in Madrid.

The 25-year-old says of comparisons to Liverpool’s past European champions: “We had that last season, remember, and we fell short. We let other people think about that once we’ve won it, and if they want to put our name next to them then so be it. We just think we need to win trophies to be a successful team, whether that’s on Saturday, next season or the season after. We won’t stop trying. This club, the size of it, and these fans, deserve trophies. But we know how hard it is to produce. We’ve found that out this season but hopefully we can get over that final step and get the first trophy for the squad and the manager. It’s massive for all of us.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Andy Robertson has supplied 11 Premier League assists and two in the Champions League this season. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Unlike several teammates, Robertson is unconvinced the manner of defeat by Real Madrid last year will provide added motivation or an invaluable experience in the Spanish capital. “I can only speak personally but I think last year we were relaxed too,” he says. “That’s the kind of squad we have – nothing fazes us.

Quick guide Liverpool player guide Show Hide Alisson Goalkeeper Season apps 50 The great-grandson of an amateur goalkeeper in his hometown, the Brazil No 1 replaced his brother, Muriel, at Internacional. Trent Alexander-Arnold Right-back Season apps 40 Goals 1 When Liverpool last won the Champions League in 2005, he had just signed for the club as a six-year-old. Andy Robertson Left-back Apps 51 Goals 0 Released by Celtic aged 15, he worked at M&S in Glasgow while playing as an amateur for Queen’s Park. Has never lost a Liverpool game at Anfield. Virgil van Dijk Centre-back Apps 53 Goals 6 World’s most expensive defender at £75m. Worked as a dishwasher at the Oncle Jean restaurant in Breda when he was 16. Joël Matip Centre-back Apps 30 Goals 1 Born in Bochum, he represented his father’s country, Cameroon, before retiring from international duty in 2015. Dejan Lovren Centre-back Apps 18 Goals 1 Said he should be recognised as “one of the best defenders in the world” after helping Croatia to the World Cup final. His family escaped to Germany during the Bosnian war. Joe Gomez Centre-back

Apps 24 Goals 0 The versatile defender joined Liverpool from Charlton, where he made his first-team debut aged 17. Has represented England at every level. Georginio Wijnaldum Midfielder

Apps 46 Goals 5 His double against Barcelona sent Liverpool to the final. Started his career at Sparta Rotterdam, where his younger brother, Giliano, plays. Fabinho Midfielder Apps 40 Goals 1 Before joining Monaco, the Brazilian had a spell on loan at Real Madrid from Rio Ave in 2013, making one appearance. Jordan Henderson Midfielder Apps 45 Goals 1 Given his England debut by Fabio Capello. The only English player to miss in the World Cup shootout against Colombia. James Milner Midfielder

Apps 44 Goals 7 Last season, his nine assists broke the record for a single Champions League campaign. He is England’s most-capped under-21 international. Mohamed Salah Forward

Apps 51 Goals 26 Was excused military service in Egypt to focus on football. The fastest Liverpool player to score 50 Premier League goals, taking 69 matches. Roberto Firmino Forward

Apps 47 Goals 16 He used to help his father in the family business selling water bottles. Was the Bundesliga’s 2013-14 breakthrough player of the year. Sadio Mané Forward Apps 49 Goals 26 Scored the fastest Premier League hat-trick for Southampton against Aston Villa in 2015 in two minutes and 56 seconds. Divock Origi Forward

Apps 20 Goals 6 His father played 120 times for Kenya. His double against Barcelona was the first time he'd scored in the Champions League. Xherdan Shaqiri Forward

Apps 30 Goals 6 The only player in the Liverpool squad to have won the Champions League. Harry Vavasour

“We knew what we were up against last season and we know what we’re up against this season. Both teams have got big-game experience, which can help, but I don’t think last season has any bearing on this. It’s a different challenge, a different team, a different set-up. Maybe we’ll know more when the game kicks off and we can look back and say it made a difference, but right now it doesn’t feel that way.”

A bigger influence on the outcome, Robertson believes, will be the form Klopp’s team showed with remarkable consistency throughout the Premier League campaign and when it mattered most in the semi-final against Barcelona. That is mirrored in Robertson’s return of 11 Premier League assists and two in the Champions League. His confidence in it continuing after three weeks without a competitive game is unmistakable.

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“We’ve been ruthless this season and we need to be ruthless again. But I’ve watched Tottenham over the last three or four years under Pochettino and they’re a ruthless team as well. The way they go about things and the way they win games, they destroy teams at times. They beat us last season and if they perform like that then we’ll be in for a hell of a game against a fantastic team with fantastic players.

“At the top end of the Premier League, you have to be ruthless. Even just to get in the top four is hard. If we can take that into our game, I believe we have enough to win it, but we have to prove it. We have to show the team that’s played the last 10 months of the season.”

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Robertson had invited around 20 family members to his home in Formby the day after last season’s Champions League final and only realised late on that a barbecue was required. Hours after denying Cristiano Ronaldo another Champions League goal with a sublime challenge in Kiev, he found himself wandering around Homebase with his father, Brian.

“Hopefully we’ve not got that nonsense again!” he says. “I’ve still got that barbecue so at least there’ll be no need to go to Homebase. Obviously we’re hoping for much happier feelings. Last year was a massive disappointment, there’s no hiding away from that. Hopefully we’re feeling better this time but we know what hard work has to go in to achieve that. If we can do that it’ll be a better party.”