Scotland have benefitted from Andy Robertson’s Champions League success.
And the former Dundee United star believes it will be the same with Billy Gilmour.
Two years ago Robertson was part of the Liverpool team that defeated Tottenham to secure European football’s top club prize.
And last weekend Gilmour also got a winners’ medal around his neck after being an unused sub for Chelsea in their victory against Manchester City.
Resting on his laurels didn’t enter the Scotland captain’s mind, with a subsequent Premier League triumph and qualification for Euro 2020 the proof.
Now young midfielder Gilmour will attempt to bring a similar ‘this is only the beginning’ mindset from club to country.
“I don’t know Billy too well, but I have spoken to him a couple of times and the wee man seems very hungry to achieve everything he can whether it’s personally, collectively or whatever,” said Robertson.
“To be able to get a Champions League winners’ medal so early is incredible, but I don’t believe that will be him finished.
“I think he will be hungry for more now.
“He had a taste for success and for me and for all the Liverpool lads it drove us forward the next season to go and win the Premier League. We are even more hungry now to win more trophies.
“When you get that feeling, when you get the night out that follows, the celebrations with your family and your fans I think that makes you hungry for more and I’m sure Billy will be the exact same.
“He has a huge career ahead of him and it has already started so well having a Champions League winners’ medal so early on.
“But I have no doubt that he will stay humble, hungry and go on to achieve a lot more in this game.”
Robertson was keen to stress that transferring club success to the national set-up is not restricted to players who have won the Champions League.
“We have always had that (winners) with the Celtic boys and Rangers boys,” he said.
“They have come in after showing they are able to win trophies in Scotland.
“But we have people who have shown they can win down south as well.
“Unfortunately for Scott (McTominay), they just fell short in the Europa League, but Billy won something.
“And in other big games we’ve got guys like (John) McGinn scoring winners in play-off finals, people getting promoted.
“The more winners you have in your group the better. We have a few racking up and hopefully more to come.
“The more you win at club level the more you bring a winning mentality into the international team and I think we are seeing the benefits of so many players playing at a really high level and competing for really big trophies.”
⚽️🎾 Game, set, match!
👏 @andrewrobertso5 pic.twitter.com/ajGpAiX7xq
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) May 29, 2021
Robertson won’t be coming up against Anfield team-mate Virgil van Dijk in Scotland’s first pre-Euros friendly against the Netherlands.
“At one point it maybe looked likely that Virg would make it,” he said.
“It looked like this would be his first game back and I would have liked nothing more than to play against him.
“I have seen the big man go through his rehab, struggling at times of course, and now coming through the other side with his smile getting bigger and bigger again.
“He feels as if he is close to fitness and close to playing again. I want my mates to do well and I want my friends to play at the biggest tournaments when they qualify.
“To see him not make it is obviously hard, but he has made the best decision for his career. He seems quite content with that decision.
“It’s a huge loss for Holland, but from a selfish point of view if he is fully fit and ready for next season then that obviously helps Liverpool because – for me – he I the best defender in the world and hopefully next season and in other seasons to come he will show that again.”
