The dynamic display of Andy Robertson against Manchester City was welcomed almost as warmly in Scotland as it was in Liverpool.
The former Dundee United left-back was paid one of the greatest honours in football on Sunday – hearing his name being chanted by the Kop.
As “Oh Andy, Andy – Andy, Andy, Andy, Andy Robertson” rang out around Anfield during the thrilling 4-3 win for the Reds, you got the feeling that there were also tens of thousands of Scots supporters cheering him on from their armchairs.
Just as the “Eh kent his faither” phrase can be deployed north of the border to remind someone of their humble roots, so we still sometimes love to celebrate one of our own mixing it at the highest level in their profession.
Robertson not only had City’s England ace Raheem Sterling in his proverbial pocket, he personified the superb high-pressing game deployed by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp against the runaway league leaders.
Indeed, the defensive side of his game – often seen as weaker than his ability to attack – wasn’t bad at all. He made more tackles than anyone on the pitch, as well as more clearances.
Scottish football journalism is weighted towards the west of the country, a result of most of the newspapers and broadcasters being Glasgow-based.
Celtic, for obvious reasons of size and achievement, do attract greater air time and column inches than almost all the other Premiership clubs put together, leaving Rangers out of the equation.
The Parkhead men get lauded and applauded – rightly so.
None more so than left-back Kieran Tierney, who is the most exciting young player in Scotland.
Indeed, Tierney even captained his country in the friendly against the Netherlands at Pittodrie in November at the age of just 20.
Significantly, though, caretaker coach Malky Mackay played his new skipper at centre-half not left-back.
That position was reserved – just as it usually was under previous national coach Gordon Strachan – for Robertson.
Now there are many in the media who feel that Tierney should play in his natural position ahead of the ex-Tannadice star.
However, as good as the young Celt is, Robertson showed on Sunday that he is not just English Premier League class but capable of standing out against arguably the best club side south of the border since the invincible Arsenal team of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
It is typical of Scotland that two of their greatest talents play in the same position but Robertson clearly deserves to stay where he is in the national team as well as the Liverpool side.
It is just the latest chapter in a fairytale that saw an 18-year-old Robertson make his debut for Queen’s Park against Berwick Rangers in 2012, while also working at Hampden answering phones and selling match programmes.
He got a big break – the one that thrust him into the national spotlight – when he moved to Tannadice in the summer of 2013.
His rampaging runs and pinpoint crosses saw him become a first-team regular, play in the Scottish Cup final against St Johnstone, earn his first Scotland cap and be named PFA Scotland young player of the year.
That success saw him move on from the Tangerines to Hull City at the end of that season, making 115 appearances for the Tigers before his “Roy of the Rovers” switch to the Reds last summer at the still tender age of 23.
The victory over City marks a high point for Robertson but you wouldn’t bet against him surpassing even that in the months and years to come.
