Dundee United new boy Andrew Robertson has revealed that he swapped the prospect of playing five-a-sides against pop star Olly Murs for a crack at Scotland’s top flight.
The 19-year-old defender made the switch from Queen’s Park to Tannadice over the summer and perhaps raised a few eyebrows by going straight into the team for United’s opening two SPFL Premiership matches.
It is a step up the teenager appears to be taking in his stride, and a far cry from the kind of thing he was doing only a few weeks ago.
Taking tickets for concerts and big events at Hampden Park where previous club Queen’s Park call home, Robertson admitted the biggest thing he could have been boasting about in the summer months was an offer from a certain X Factor runner-up for a kickabout.
“That was a bit weird,” Robertson noted.
“I was working at Hampden over the summer with one of the boys at Queen’s Park, just doing all the concerts and the Scottish Cup games. I did the Robbie Williams concert and the Bon Jovi concert and just took debenture tickets, things like that.
“I never got to meet any of them but Olly Murs asked us for a game of fives.
“They all wanted a game before the concert because he was supporting Robbie Williams and they were all playing, so they asked me and another boy who was working if we wanted a game. But we never went!
“I actually think he was a good footballer in his day but it was a bit strange.
“I chucked that job only a week before I came up to Dundee United I thought it was a bit harsh because I thought I was going to get a few weeks off, but I worked pretty much right up until I came up here.
“There’s a guy called Andy McGlennan at Queen’s Park who helps the young boys and usually gets them apprenticeships but I didn’t want an apprenticeship because I didn’t think I would stick to it for the four years.
“Obviously last year I was trying to get a full-time contract for this year, so I worked at Hampden for about eight months and it was good.”
A number of clubs were interested in snapping up Robertson from Queen’s Park, including St Johnstone, but United won the race for his signature and that of fellow Spiders team-mate Aidan Connolly.
And after keeping themselves fit over the summer thanks to a specially tailored gym programme, Robertson was raring to go for the new season.
But even he was surprised to find himself in boss Jackie McNamara’s plans so soon after joining.
“I thought it would take me a few months to settle in and then be pushing for a place in the first team, but I couldn’t have expected to start in the first game and play in the second game as well,” he said.
“The manager’s showed great faith in me and hopefully I can repay it back to him. It proves that I made the right decision to come here and he’s giving young boys a chance, so I’m happy that I’ve made the right decision.
“It’s a lot quicker in the Premiership than the level I was playing at but obviously I wasn’t used to training full-time so it’s helped getting up to pace with that.
“I’m probably the fittest I’ve ever been with pre-season behind me as well.”
Robertson was disappointed as anyone with his side’s showing against Inverness at the weekend but hopes United can bounce back over the coming weeks.
He said: “I still thought that I was probably not up to what I think I can play to but the whole team didn’t.
“We didn’t really get going at all and we couldn’t get going. It was just a bad performance and we have just got to put it behind us now and look forward to next weekend.”