Football
9y

Hull's Andy Robertson attracting interest from top clubs says Bruce

Hull manager Steve Bruce has revealed Andy Robertson has already started to attract the attention of the Premier League elite.

Robertson, 20, has played just nine Premier League matches for the Tigers since a summer switch from Dundee United, but has taken to the task with aplomb.

A commanding performance in Scotland's 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland followed by a wonderful goal in a losing cause against England have earned him further admirers, and Bruce's phone has already been ringing.

During his days as Wigan boss, Bruce sold Antonio Valencia to Manchester United for 16 million pounds and Wilson Palacios to Tottenham for 12 million pounds, and he senses familiar warning signs now with Robertson.

Arsenal have been linked with a January move, but Bruce declined to name names.

Asked if he was worried about an approach from the division's big boys, Bruce said: "There has already been one or two with phone calls asking to 'keep me informed'," Bruce said.

"That's always the first stage. I had it with Palacios when I was at Wigan and then Valencia when he went off to Manchester United.

"If this kid keeps performing the way he is then it (interest from top clubs) might become inevitable."

Robertson cost a modest 2.85 million pounds when he arrived from Tannadice, but that is quickly looking like one of the bargains of the summer.

He did not suffer in comparison with his England counterpart Luke Shaw at Celtic Park, with Manchester United having paid Southampton more than 10 times the amount Robertson cost in the same transfer window.

That is a fact not lost on Bruce.

"He only played one year (in the Premier League), didn't he? That's how crazy it is -- 32 million pounds -- you could buy the Humber Bridge for that," he joked.

Bruce has handled Robertson sensibly, blooding him early, easing his transition to a new city and allowing him visits back home when the schedule allowed, but he admits to an element of luck too.

He may never have started him on the opening day of the season but for an injury and happily shares the credit for the signing with his scouting team.

"Liam Rosenior got injured the day before the QPR match and I might have started with him had he been fit, so I threw Robertson in," Bruce said.

"I spoke to (Scotland boss) Gordon Strachan about him in the summer. He threw him in against Nigeria for his first cap. He took to it like a duck to water, and he has done exactly the same when offered the challenge with us.

"There is a lot of hard work that goes on beneath (a transfer) too. My scouts followed him, my chief scout Stan Ternent and a lad who works for me in Scotland called Gerry.

"It's all their hard work. I made the decision to say 'yes' because the people I employ said 'yes'. But you just had to look at him at Dundee United last year, the natural aspects, and think 'wow'.

"As soon as you see him once whoosh up that line you go 'bloomin' heck'. There are not many people that move like that very often.

"It's reward for everybody at the club, but it's more rewarding for him than anybody."

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