St Mirren midfielder Jon Robertson is bracing himself for a red-hot atmosphere at Hampden on Sunday ... after his previous trip to the National Stadium left him feeling cold.
The former Cowdenbeath ace played at Hampden as a teenager when the Blue Brazil took on Queen’s Park – with a crowd of just 600 people turning up for the midweek match.
And 23-year-old Robbo admits that experience won’t be much use when he lines up for Saints in this weekend’s Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final showdown with Celtic.
He told Express Sports: “I have played at Hampden before, when I was just 17 or 18 and only about four games into my professional career.
“It was a midweek game against Queen’s Park and there were only about 600 people there on the night.
“We won 3-2, so I’ve got happy memories of the place, but it was really eerie to play in a huge stadium that was almost empty.
“It’s definitely going to be different this weekend but the good thing is that I have the experience of playing against Celtic at Parkhead earlier this season, so I should be able to handle it.”
Robbo admits that he suffers from nerves ahead of each match but reckons that will add an edge to his game when the cup clash with the Hoops takes place.
He said: “I guess that nerves are part of my make-up.
“I get nervous before every game I play but I think that shows that I care and that I’m passionate about what I do. I always want to do well.
“I’m sure there will be nerves again on Sunday when we’re standing in the tunnel but, once you get on the park, the adrenalin kicks in.”
Robertson enjoyed a difficult start to his St Mirren career after his switch from Cowdenbeath last summer.
He spent much of the first half of this season warming the subs’ bench but has been a more regular member of the Saints first team in recent months.
The decision by Buddies boss Danny Lennon to move skipper Jim Goodwin from midfield and into a centre-half role has opened the door for Robertson, who is determined to make the most of his opportunity to impress.
He added: “For me, it’s important that I get a run of games.
“Things have been going well from that point of view recently and long may it continue.”
