Andy Robertson nears 100 Scotland caps ahead of Nations League tie with North Macedonia
Andy Robertson is set to become only the second man in Scotland's more than 150-year international history to reach 100 caps, a milestone he could achieve in Saturday's Nations League game against North Macedonia as he closes in on the national appearance record.
Robertson earned his first Scotland cap in March 2014 when Gordon Strachan selected the 19-year-old left-back in a win over Poland after he had come through at Dundee United, and he has been a near-constant presence ever since; Alex McLeish handed him the captaincy in 2018 after Scott Brown retired.
Kenny Dalglish remains Scotland's appearance leader on 102 caps and could be overtaken by Robertson come November should the 32-year-old feature in each of Scotland's remaining Nations League games this year. Robertson joked on the Stick to Football podcast recently: "He always says 'you've got millions more games; Nations League, what's that? They didn't have that in my day!'""I think he might bring up a ratio for years-to-games-played so he's still on top. "It's obviously something that's been on my radar for a while now. When you get to 80-odd caps, you start to look up." Dalglish's record of 30 goals, held jointly with Denis Law, remains out of Robertson's reach.
Among current players, John McGinn sits eight behind Robertson on the all-time Scotland list, meaning the national centurion club could soon contain three members. Since receiving the armband from McLeish in 2018, Robertson has captained Scotland 29 times, becoming the regular leader of the side while also establishing himself at Liverpool during a period that included a run to the Champions League final.
Robertson's international career has spanned four permanent Scotland managers across 12 years. He even featured once under interim boss Malky Mackay in a 2017 friendly against the Netherlands at Pittodrie and has played twice for new boss Sebastien Pocognoli; the era most associated with him is Steve Clarke's seven-year tenure, in which Robertson started 68 matches for Clarke, all as captain. Clarke said at the World Cup: "He's been a fantastic captain for Scotland," and added, "He's worked ever so hard for the country and he leads the group like the leader he is - and he's very, very important to me and the squad."
Statistically, Robertson tops Scotland's assist charts since his debut in 2014 but has scored only four international goals, including the strike against Cyprus that ensured Clarke's era began with a win in 2019 and his last-minute winner versus Poland in 2024 that temporarily staved off Nations League relegation; that Poland goal was the last time he scored for Scotland. His 99 caps are spread across friendlies and qualification matches, and he has made nine appearances at major tournaments, with a single victory among them — the World Cup win over Haiti in Boston in June.
Consistency underpins Robertson's Scotland record: he has started 97 of his 99 caps, averages 83 minutes per appearance and has not missed a camp in three years. He could reach the 100-cap milestone in Saturday's Nations League match against North Macedonia and, if he plays in each remaining Nations League fixture this year, has the opportunity to surpass Dalglish's 102-cap total by November.
