Scotland captain Andy Robertson on the team's Euro 2024 aims: "We are trying to create a small part of history and we've managed to do that with the two tournaments… but to be able to qualify from the group would be a massive step and it would excel us even further."
Thursday 6 June 2024 11:50, UK
Andy Robertson says Scotland are aiming to be "the team that creates history" at Euro 2024 by getting past the group stage of a major tournament for the first time.
Scotland, who have qualified for a second consecutive European Championships, open the tournament against hosts Germany in Munich on Friday June 14, with Hungary and Switzerland also in Group A alongside Steve Clarke's side.
After a disappointing group stage in Euro 2020 where their only point came from a 0-0 draw against England, Robertson believes reaching the knockout stages in Germany would be a massive step forward for Scotland.
"Our aim is to be the team that creates history," the Liverpool defender said. "We have to aim to get out the group, that has to be our aim.
"We look at the group, it's a tough group, it's a competitive group. But we believe that we can give any team a game and if we do that and we manage to get out of the group, then we're the first Scotland team to ever do that."
He added: "We've been trying to create our own history, we've been trying to create our own story within a nation that have had a lot of good teams in the past, a lot of legends of the game.
"We are trying to create a small part of history and we've managed to do that by qualifying for the two tournaments, but to be able to qualify from the group would be a massive step and it would excel us even further and give us even more belief than we've already got."
Euro 2020, which was played in the summer of 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was Scotland's first appearance at a major tournament in 23 years.
Scotland opened the tournament with a 2-0 defeat against Czech Republic at Hampden Park before the goalless draw with England at Wembley before a 3-1 defeat to Croatia sealed their exit.
Despite the disappointing exit, Robertson believes he and his teammates have learned plenty of lessons from that campaign.
"Obviously, the qualification was unbelievable but different because it was behind closed doors," he said. "The excitement then started to build, and we knew there was going to be fans back in some capacity, but the world was still in quite a weird, strange place… so it was different but it was one that we looked forward to.
"The way it was finally over for Scotland to be back at a major tournament - it was still strange as we still only had 10,000 fans in Hampden which felt like 50,000 because we'd played a full season without anyone in the stadiums. But ultimately it was one of disappointment when we got there.
"Obviously, we had the good result at Wembley which put us in a position where we could have qualified in the last game but ultimately Croatia were too good for us on the day. But the Czech Republic game, the opening game, was tough to take because we played really well, created big chances and we didn't quite take them and we got caught on the counter-attack - and that was us getting welcomed into how major tournaments work.
"It was a learning curve and a lot of us, a lot of the squad, are similar and hopefully we've learned a lesson from that."
In three weeks, Robertson will be leading Scotland out at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena to take on the hosts Germany in the Euro 2024 opener for what is sure to be a huge occasion.
It's nothing new for the 30-year-old, who has featured in huge matches for Liverpool in recent years, but he admits that it will be difficult to treat the Euro 2024 opener as just another game.
When asked what will be going through his mind after he has led Scotland out in Munich and the national anthem starts playing, he said: "I think the easy answer is to try and treat it like a normal game, but I don't think that's possible.
"I think it is a special occasion, of course it is - you're opening the tournament and I think once the national anthem plays, there will be a lot of Tartan Army in there - but also all of us will be singing it loud and proud.
"The national anthem in any game we play is a moment of reflection, I always try and do that. I always try and look at where I've come from, the people who have helped me on the way, I think that will be no different. But there will be a feeling around it, it will be a special game, of course it will be.
"There will be that feeling in your stomach and that excitement, and we don't want to take that away from all of us. You can thrive on that and it's important we use it to our advantage and not against us.
"We're ultimately there for a result, of course there's going to be a lot going on, the opening ceremony and things like that, but ultimately we're there to get off to a good start in the tournament and that's what we'll be fully focused on when that game comes."
This will be Robertson's second major tournament, and the second as Scotland's captain.
Up until now, only Graeme Souness has captained the Scots in two tournaments, and Robertson insists it will be a "special feeling" to join Souness in that exclusive club.
When hearing about the comparison with Souness, Robertson said: "I didn't know that. I know Scotland qualified for tournaments, but we haven't done so in a long time, but the fact that he's the only one who's been captain twice… well, if I can join him on that then that's a pretty special feeling and that's what we're excited to do.
"We're just delighted to be at another tournament and most of the squad that were at the last one are going to be at this one.
"The fact we can represent our country at another tournament is massive and every time I put on the captain's armband, it's the same honour and it's the same pride.
"After the tournament and when I'm on my holidays, I'll have that moment of reflection and I'll be able to look back on it with a real sense of pride."
Scotland have history kicking off tournaments, having been drawn to face Brazil in the opener at World Cup 1998, a game they narrowly lost 2-1 to a second-half Tom Boyd own goal.
This time around the venue is the Munich Football Arena [Allianz Arena] where Steve Clarke's side kick-off the opening match of Euro 2024 against hosts Germany on June 14.
Scotland also face games against perennial qualifiers Switzerland in Cologne on June 19, with Hungary - who reached the knockouts in 2016 - awaiting in Stuttgart on June 23.
