Roy Keane Stands Firm on 'Big Baby' Remark to Andy Robertson

Roy Keane has reiterated his assessment of Andy Robertson as a "big baby," a label he famously applied to the Liverpool defender following an incident in 2023. The remark resurfaced during a recent episode of the podcast "Stick to Football," where Keane and Robertson discussed the event.

The controversy stemmed from a match where Robertson alleged that a linesman, Constantine Hatzidakis, elbowed him in the face. As Robertson was walking off the field at halftime, he appeared to gesture towards the official, who then raised his elbow into Robertson's face. Robertson was heard complaining that he had been struck.

Keane, however, offered little sympathy at the time, stating on Sky Sports that Robertson was a "big baby" and should "just get on with the game and concentrate on your defending." He also noted that Robertson appeared to grab the linesman first.

During their podcast conversation, Robertson acknowledged the incident and Keane's commentary. "The first two babies were alright, the third one was too far," Robertson joked, indicating he wasn't expecting an apology. Keane, smiling, confirmed his stance, stating, "This is not an apology!" He explained that as a pundit, long days and a desire for commentary can sometimes lead to agitated remarks.

Elsewhere in the podcast discussion, Robertson shared insights into Liverpool's challenging 2025-2026 season. He attributed the struggles of new signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, who joined for a combined £241 million, to the team's emotional state following the tragic death of teammate Diogo Jota in a car accident in July 2025. Robertson described the period as "horrendous" and explained that the squad "didn't care about football" in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, which made it difficult for the new players to settle.

"If I'm talking about football, it took them months to settle in because we didn't care about football," Robertson stated. "That was the truth of it because we just lost one of your best mates in the changing room."

Robertson, who was entering the final year of his contract at the time of Jota's death, reflected on how the collective grief impacted the team's performance. "I think all footballers we all have that edge, don't we? I think when you lose that edge sometimes, then you can't perform to your best. And I think last season we lost the edge," he said. He added that the team lost determination, with players questioning "What's the point?" when considering the suffering of Jota's family.

"But yeah, we were grieving as a group. It was our mate at the end of the day. He's not a footballer to us. He was a team-mate, he was a friend, he was an everything," Robertson concluded.