Liverpool’s penultimate Premier League fixture against Brentford on Sunday will serve as a stage for the parting of two modern icons. Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, both recruited in the transformative summer of 2017, will bid farewell to Anfield after nine trophy-laden years. Together they helped steer the club to 17 major honours, including a long-awaited league title and a sixth European Cup, but their final season has been marred by inconsistency and personal tragedy. The exits send a clear signal: an era defined by relentless pressing and record-breaking feats is officially drawing to a close.
Robertson’s ascent is one of football’s most remarkable stories. Signed for just £8 million from Hull City, the defender had started his senior career in Scotland’s fourth tier with Queen’s Park. Under Jürgen Klopp, he evolved into a prototype for the modern full-back, marrying defensive grit with attacking incision. His 60 Premier League assists rank second among defenders in the competition’s history, behind only teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 32-year-old’s lung-busting runs became a symbol of Liverpool’s identity, embodying the manager’s “heavy metal” philosophy.
From the moment he arrived on Merseyside, Robertson was reminded of the storied bond between Liverpool and Scotland. He noted in a BBC interview that fans threw names at him: Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen, Graeme Souness. The line stretches back to Bill Shankly, and Robertson quickly understood that Scottish players were expected to deliver silverware. That heritage became a source of motivation rather than pressure. He acknowledged that Liverpool supporters “love a Scottish player in their team,” and with good reason—the club’s greatest chapters have often been scripted by men from north of the border.
Sir Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool’s greatest living legend and a double European Cup winner, offered glowing tribute. He said Robertson had done both club and country proud and jokingly urged him to retire from international football after this summer’s World Cup. Robertson sits just 10 caps shy of Dalglish’s haul of 102, and captaining Scotland to their first men’s World Cup in 28 years would be a fitting milestone. The mutual respect between the two men underscores a lineage: Dalglish the talisman of a bygone dynasty, Robertson the heartbeat of a new one.
Regrettably, the pair are also bound by tragedy. Dalglish provided leadership during Hillsborough and the Heysel aftermath; Robertson faced his own trial last summer. After lifting the 2024–25 Premier League title, the squad was shattered by the death of forward Diogo Jota in a car crash. Robertson confessed that football became an afterthought. Pre-season was a blur of grief rather than fitness work. He admitted the team started the campaign with spirit but later grew inconsistent, worn down by emotional exhaustion. Yet he refused to use the tragedy as an excuse for a poor campaign, insisting the players “have let ourselves down” with insufficient aggression and determination.
Before the triumphs, Liverpool endured painful near-misses. Twice they finished a point behind Manchester City, including the staggering 97-point season of 2018–19. They also lost two Champions League finals to Real Madrid. Robertson recalled how Klopp gathered the squad after the Kyiv defeat and promised they would be back. That vow materialised 12 months later in Madrid, where Liverpool swept aside Tottenham to claim Europe’s top prize. The following year, they ended the club’s 30-year wait for a domestic league crown—a triumph Robertson felt the fans were “desperate” for when he first joined.
When Klopp announced his departure, external doubts multiplied. But Arne Slot exceeded expectations, steering Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title in his debut season. Robertson stressed that the squad was determined to prove the world that Liverpool could thrive without their iconic manager. The title matched Manchester United’s historic total and reinforced the club’s status at the summit of English football, but this season has shown the fragility of that position.
Sunday will also mark Mohamed Salah’s Anfield finale. The Egyptian, third on the club’s all-time scoring list with 257 goals, joined in the same transfer window as Robertson. Both players are leaving despite the club having invested £415 million in new signings last summer—a sign that the rebuild is still a work in progress. Robertson, however, remains confident about the future, saying the new arrivals “have just needed time to adapt” and that the group can bring success.
The Brentford fixture carries more than sentimental weight. A heavy defeat combined with a Bournemouth win could see Liverpool slip out of the Champions League spots, though Robertson called qualification the “bare minimum.” He said he is trying to savour his final week at the club, taking in the last interactions with staff and teammates before an emotional afternoon. Once that whistle blows, his focus will shift immediately to Scotland’s World Cup campaign.
Together, Robertson and Salah rewrote Liverpool’s record books and restored the club’s place among Europe’s elite. Their Anfield farewell is not merely the end of two individual tenures, but the closing of a chapter that yielded every major trophy available. The next generation must now carry forward the standards they set. Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
