James Maddison joked with brand new Tottenham teammate Andy Robertson for the ex-Liverpool man's stone-faced expressions during their 26-hour preseason tour flight to Oceania
Andy Robertson's first moments pictured as a Tottenham Hotspur player drew up an uncomfortable reality for Liverpool fans who witnessed him in their shirt over the past nine years, but he's already beginning to learn the hard way about Spurs' camaraderie style.
Tottenham started the year with a 1-0 win over MK Dons in a closed-door friendly at Hotspur Way. After that, the squad boarded a plane for a 26-hour trip to play three preseason games in Auckland and Sydney.
James Maddison teased the Scotland captain during the Oceania trip and posted an Instagram story of a stone-faced Robertson from the Spurs midfielder's vantage point.
Meanwhile, Andoni Iraola shut down questions about Alexis Mac Allister's links to Real Madrid.
Maddison captioned the post, "He better liven up if he's my company for this 26-hour flight." The joke hit different for Premier League fans who still believe Robertson's move to Spurs looks strange.
He joined Tottenham on a free transfer after nine trophy-filled years at Liverpool, where he wore No. 26, became known as Robbo, and helped define Jurgen Klopp's best teams.
Robertson moved on from the shirt number part of his old identity and chose to wear the No. 3 shirt after defender Radu Dragusin was unveiled as Fiorentina's next No. 3 on loan. No. 26 at Spurs has remained associated with Tottenham icon Ledley King.
The decision was framed as respect for King and a chance to match the number Robertson wears as Scotland captain. The Scotland national team was eliminated at the World Cup in the group stage, with Brazil and Morocco advancing out of Group C.
Some Liverpool fans continue to share that everything about the move still feels wrong, especially after Spurs' official social media channels used the nickname Robbo.
Robertson has insisted the move is perfect for this stage of his career and called Tottenham a massive club with an amazing stadium, training ground, and fanbase. He also said there is a determination not to repeat last season's 17th-place finish.
Robertson is part of Tottenham's preseason tour squad for New Zealand and Australia under Roberto De Zerbi. He did not play against MK Dons to witness the early world-class strike from newly acquired midfielder Mateus Fernandes to seal the victory.
The squad for the Oceania tour includes Maddison, Robertson, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Mathys Tel, Sandro Tonali, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Conor Gallagher, and Kevin Danso.
Mohamed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski, and Wilson Odobert did not travel as they recover from injuries that kept them out most of last year. Robertson will play against Liverpool for the first time in December, with his first return to Anfield as a Spurs player set for February.