QPR Defender Jack Robinson Reveals Being Starstruck Cost Him Liverpool Success

Former Liverpool defender Jack Robinson has admitted that his inability to remain composed around his footballing idols at Anfield was the main reason as to why his time in the north west was not a success. 

The 24-year-old, who currently plies his trade at Championship club Queens Park Rangers, graduated through the Reds ranks in 2010 and became the Merseysiders' youngest ever debutant at the time, at just at just 16 years and 250 days old. 

His first appearance for the club came against Hull City, where he was Rafa Benitez's final ever substitute while in charge of the Premier League giants, replacing Ryan Babel against Hull City, a memory he will always cherish. 

"I remember being at a party on the Friday when I got a phone call saying 'you're playing for Liverpool tomorrow' - I left the party in order to go home and rest", Robinson recalled to Sky Sports.

"I got three minutes at the end, I came on left wing for Ryan Babel. I'd never played there before.

"I remember in the first five seconds, getting the ball of Lucas and turning before finding Steven Gerrard. He took on three players and hit the post.

"I nearly got an assist with my first touch!"

However, his Liverpool career following was one of near misses, with the natural left-back going on to make just nine more first team showings for his boyhood club. 

As you would expect with the Reds, competition for places was tough, but Robinson believes he had the talent to make a success of himself in the north west, but his starstruck mentality of featuring alongside his childhood idols was simply too much for him to overcome. 

"I just couldn't get into a rhythm", the former England Under-21 international added.

"Being a fan for so long to then being around the players on a daily basis - I couldn't really come out of my shell. 

"I was nervous around them. It was very daunting. I was always thinking 'you need to prove yourself' instead of relaxing and playing my game."

Robinson was subsequently sold to QPR in 2014 for around £1.1m, where he has overcome a career threatening injury setback to become a first-team regular in Ian Holloway's side.