Robertson insists he and McTominay can follow in footsteps of Scottish legends

Dalglish, Souness, Wark, St John, Hansen and just a few famous more. Mr Shankly himself for goodness' sake.

Law, Jordan, McQueen, Strachan, Macari, Sir Alex… the list could go on and on.

There was a time when any show of hands at either Liverpool or Manchester United would have carried a dressing-room motion to adopt the Scotland home jersey as a change strip.

With the respective managers at Anfield and Old Trafford casting a deciding vote in the affirmative.

If those glory, glory days of entire Caledonian battalions rampaging their way through English football's most famous fixture may be gone, perhaps never to return, it's pleasing to note at least a minor revival of a great tradition.

Scott McTominay has become a virtual ever-present in the United starting line-up this season, earning himself a place in the first XI for all eight Premier League fixtures so far.

While the team's struggles and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future mean everything is viewed through a rather murky cloud of unease and confusion at the moment, McTominay has played well, raising hopes that club and country might have a rightful heir to Darren Fletcher in their midst.

Along the M62 at Anfield, well, it's fair to say that Andy Robertson has more than established himself as a favourite of both Jurgen Klopp and the Kop.

The old ground regularly echoes to the sound of fans singing his name in praise, the Scotland captain lauded for epitomising everything - hard work, tenacity, technique and daring ambition - that matters most to supporters.

Robertson, aware of the tartan flash that cuts right through the heart of this great rivalry, clearly loves this game.

His affection for the grudge match has even survived the fact that he's yet to win at Old Trafford, suffering a 2-1 defeat on his first visit to 'enemy territory' and earning a 0-0 draw there last year.

Ahead of Sunday's trip to Salford, the most exciting wing-back in Europe is positively bursting with enthusiasm for the fray.

'I think what makes the fixture so special is that it's historic,' said Robertson, the former Queen's Park, Dundee United and Hull City player adding: 'There have been such great battles down the years.

'And they've always had top teams who have fought against each other for everything on the pitch.

'It's always like that. And it's genuinely a different atmosphere when you play against them. It's one game that we always look forward to.

'Since I've been a Liverpool player, we've not managed to get a result at Old Trafford. So hopefully that changes on Sunday.

'Old Trafford is good to play in, a historic stadium, it's nice - but I prefer Anfield!

'The atmosphere is good, too. There is always an edge to it. It's a proper game and, sometimes, it gets played like a cup tie.

'These games are good. But they're only good if you come out on top. Hopefully we're the ones celebrating on Sunday night.'

With a nod to those who blazed a trail before him and McTominay, Robertson added: 'There have also been a lot of Scottish players and managers who have contributed, down the years to both clubs.

'We obviously have that connection and it's good that me and Scotty can sort of fly the flag down there.

'Hopefully, more can come down and join us, keep that tradition going.

'There was a wee bit of banter with Scott during Scotland duty, just a wee bit! Not much, honest.

'I thought he was fantastic for us against San Marino. And he's been excellent all season in a United team that has had its critics. I think he's carried himself very well.

'I'll be looking forward to facing him on Sunday. Obviously I hope to come out on top.'

The bookies make Liverpool odds-on favourites to win at the home of their historic rivals. That's a remarkable state of affairs in its own right.

The turf accountants can justify their stingy pricing, though, by simply pointing to a league table that shows Klopp's men a staggering 15 points - and just the 11 places - clear of a struggling United.

Yet Robertson is wary of reading too much into their respective seasons to date, declaring: 'It doesn't matter that we've won eight on the bounce and they're struggling.

'It's Man United vs Liverpool. It says everything it needs to say for itself. It will be a one-off game and we'll see who comes out on top.

'I have no doubt that they'll produce a reaction after a poor performance against Newcastle. I'm absolutely sure that they will be firing and wanting to kickstart their season. For them, there would be no better time to do it than against us.

'But we have our own objectives and our own aims. That's what we've got to be striving for.'

There was a time, of course, when Scots reporting back to their clubs from international duty could carry a bit of swagger on the first day of training. Aye, another good result in the bag. See you all at the World Cup?

It's both a reflection on Scotland's fortunes and the all-consuming nature of club football these days that the modern player has little time - or appetite - for trading war stories about their most recent stint of national service.

'It's fine when we all get back from an international break,' said Robertson. 'But everyone is just so focused on what we're trying to do with Liverpool, it's not as if we have time to talk about how we all got on with our national teams.

'As a team, we are very driven to succeed. We were successful last season - and hopefully we'll be even more successful this season.

'So everything that has happened with our countries is forgotten about when we get back to training. Because we're Liverpool players.

'We're so focused on getting right back into our stride for the next big Liverpool game. That's especially true this week.'

It's a contest that has a tendency to suck in all light, noise and energy from miles around. A head-to-head between traditional superpowers of the English game.

And, as tradition dictates, there's a dash of Scottishness to it all. It just feels right.