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liverpool head coach Arne Slott He stressed that age is no barrier to the future of players if they continue to contribute.
At the end of last season the club renewed lucrative contracts of key players mohammed salah33, and virgil van dijk34, a departure from the standard policy of owners Fenway Sports Group.
The youngest of five people in the team, aged 30, andy robertson finds himself in the same situation, at least off the field, with his deal set to expire in just six months.
Robertson, who will turn 32 in March, rejected the opportunity to join Atletico Madrid in the summer, even though his opportunities appeared limited following the £40m signing of Milos Kerkes and he was a substitute for the first five games of the season.
He has started in six of his 11 appearances this term, half of those starts in the last 10 days after Kerkez was taken out of the firing line after a difficult settlement period.
He has played key roles in Liverpool’s last two wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, underlining his importance as a mere back-up.
Asked about Robertson’s age, Slott said, “Over 30 doesn’t tell me anything.”
“If I look at Virgil, Mo and Robbo, who were also over 30 last season, all three of them were able to win the Premier League and all three of them played a big role in it.
“If a 24-year-old player doesn’t play well, no one talks about his age. If a 32, 33, 34-year-old player plays one or two bad games, people start talking about age.
“That’s how things work in this industry. But I think at 32, I wouldn’t say that’s old for a football player in my opinion.”
The big question for the slot is whether Robertson, who has been a vital steady hand in the last two matches, can make a fourth consecutive start against Manchester City.
With the players given a day off on Thursday following a recovery session following Madrid’s win, Slote was happy with just two days of training ahead of the trip to the Etihad.
“I was very happy to see that he was able to score almost 90 in his last game because it is difficult for players to play three games in seven days,” the Dutchman said.
“But he has performed well. He has been calm on the ball and worked defensively.”
Slott is also encouraged by the defensive sacrifices made by Salah to help the team return to winning ways.
The Egypt international is not known for holding back, but his work rate has been evident in the last two matches.
“I’ve noticed it and it’s helped the team a lot,” Slott said.
“But it’s not the first time. I think the last time we played away to Man City, Pep Guardiola said something about it.
“It is very important for us that Mo scores goals and it is very important for Mo to see how he played against City last season, where he also scored a goal and helped the team a lot with his defensive work.
“That’s what he did during the week too.”
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