SCOTLAND captain Andy Robertson is dreaming of helping Liverpool secure their first league crown in 30 years - but insists it will not be the same without the fans.
The left-back has been back training with the Reds since last Wednesday, with Premier League sides having now been given permission to resume contact sessions.
Liverpool, who are some 25 points clear of nearest challengers Manchester City, still need six points to clinch the title as the authorities target a resumption of football behind closed doors next month.
And former Dundee United, Queens Park and Hull City defender Robertson is desperate to lift silverware.
He said: “For me, that’s what I try to keep in my head. We’re so used to competing – and we’ve not competed in a very long time.
“It’s been 30 long years for this club and the fans probably couldn’t have imagined we’d have to wait nine weeks when we were so close to going into games where we hopefully could have won to seal the Premier League title.
“But we’ll get back to it, we’ll get going again, we’ll get our rhythm again and hopefully we can win the games we need to win and that’s what our aim is now.
“The light at the end of the tunnel was just getting back into training, to be honest. At times, there were some days you didn’t think that would have been possible, but now we’re back here, we can look forward and look to the next step.
“Then, like I said, hopefully with the games we’ve got ahead of us, we can get back to it. Would we like to play in front of 55,000 people at Anfield? Of course we would.”
Speaking to the Liverpool website, Robertson, who has played 45 games for club and country this season, added: “Winning games or whatever without the fans won’t feel the same, but it’s something we know we need to go through and it’s something we know that in their houses and stuff they will be supporting us like mad and we’ll feel that support.
“Hopefully we can celebrate a title if we get the job done – and there will be time to celebrate it when the time is right.
“But for now we need to keep focused, we know whatever games are coming up and whenever they start, we need to get them won and get that trophy for this club.”
Robertson, meanwhile, admits he is just delighted to be back training alongside his team-mates after initially having to adhere to the lockdown guidelines.
He added: “The first day back at Melwood it was like a kid leaving school for holidays probably, to be honest.
“I bounced out the front door; it’s probably the first time I’ve smiled at home about football in a while. I couldn’t wait to get in and I’m sure all the lads were like that.
“The best thing about being back is seeing the lads and the staff, although it’s in small groups.
“Being back at Melwood; I’ve always said Melwood is kind of your home from home, you spend so much time here, and we missed the place like mad.
“We wanted to get back on the pitch and play football, and luckily that’s been able to happen.
“There have been many things we’ve missed and many things we can start to smile about because we’re back at work – one is seeing all the people we’ve been so close to for the last couple of years, being able to see them again and have talks with them. Being able to get the balls out is amazing.
“It’s not quite the same in your kit in your back garden, so it’s always nice to be back here.
“Hopefully we can start moving forward and get closer to that first Premier League game again.”
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