Andy Robertson vows to fight for Liverpool place after being displaced by Milos Kerkez

Andy Robertson said he will continue to push for a starting role at Liverpool after being displaced this season by new left-back Milos Kerkez and being introduced 38 minutes into the 1-0 victory at Burnley.

The 31-year-old vice-captain, who admitted there was a chance he could have left for Atletico Madrid in the summer, said he chose to remain at Anfield for the final year of his contract and will not settle for a substitute role. Liverpool extended their winning start to four matches with the Burnley result.

Kerkez, 21, signed for around £40 million from Bournemouth and has started the campaign ahead of Robertson. Head coach Arne Slot said he substituted Kerkez before half-time because the young fullback had been booked and Slot feared a second yellow and subsequent dismissal in a tense match. "I think the fans here thought a chance for them to win the game is if we ended up with a second yellow," Slot said. "With Milos I can never be 100 percent he doesn’t make the next foul, then the fans are on top of the referee."

Robertson, who came on early in the match and helped improve Liverpool's play down the left, said the recent international break aided his match fitness after playing two full games for Scotland. "I do want to play games and be the starting left-back and I have got to keep pushing to try to produce the levels I know I can do," he said. "The international break was good for me as I was able to get two 90 minutes, get that match fitness and two really good results for Scotland and I took a lot of confidence from that."

The Scotland captain said he supports Kerkez's development but will press him for the starting role. "He is only young and I think we forget that. You try to help them as much as you can but you want to put pressure on them and you want to play games," Robertson said. "He will be the starting left-back for Liverpool in the future and it's up to me to push him this season and help him improve."

Slot has praised Kerkez's intensity, saying the fullback had been "playing every duel as if his life depends on it" and acknowledged the broader challenge facing players stepping up to Liverpool. Robertson drew a parallel with his own arrival at the club after moving from Hull, observing that the step up can be daunting and that there are "a lot more eyes on you in a Liverpool jersey than at those two clubs."

Robertson's decision to stay at Anfield came amid transfer speculation linking him with Atletico Madrid, who are due to visit Liverpool in the Champions League later this week. He declined to confirm whether a move had been imminent, saying only that a transfer was "maybe at one point." The defender's commitment keeps an experienced option available as Liverpool balance immediate results with integrating a high-profile young signing.

Liverpool's early-season form under Slot has left Kerkez and Robertson in direct competition for minutes at left-back, with the manager appearing prepared to manage risks during matches while building the 21-year-old's adaptation. Robertson stressed he will continue to push for selection rather than accept a peripheral role, aiming to contribute both on the pitch and in mentoring a player he said has "transitioned well."