The agony of the lower division footballer - why ever-optimistic Portsmouth man and reported Derby target is hoping for fourth time lucky

Yet the precarious nature of the lower league player is an existence he has steadily adjusted to as the defender waits to learn whether he’s surplus to requirements at Fratton Park.

Robertson is one of 13 players out of contract at the season’s end, with the players still in the dark over whether they are in John Mousinho’s plans.

The 29-year-old has appeared 56 times and scored three goals since arriving on a free transfer from Rotherham in July 2021.

He was previously released by Aberdeen and Blackpool during a career which began aged 16 years and seven months in the Pittodrie first-team.

Now he’s here again.

Robertson told The News: ‘I have been in this situation four times in my career – Aberdeen, Blackpool, Rotherham and now Pompey.

‘I tend to let my agent deal with these things, there’s no point me worrying about it too much, I just have to try to perform on the pitch – and my agent will do his job off the pitch.

‘But, as you get older, you learn to deal with it better. When I first came out of contract at Aberdeen aged 21, I hadn’t played too many games, I was worrying at that point!

‘Thankfully Blackpool took a chance on me and I’ve been in England ever since.

‘I was out of contract at Aberdeen and it was probably the right time for me to move on, just to experience something else. I’m glad I took the opportunity to come to England.

‘When you are out of contract, you’re waiting by the phone every day, waiting for that call from your agent saying this club’s interested, this club wants to sign you.

‘With Pompey two years ago, I was a free agent, off on my summer holidays waiting for the phone to ring with an offer. That’s the hard bit, but quite exciting at the same time, you just don’t know where you're going to go.

‘Those players at the very top are in control, playing for massive clubs and picking where they want to go – it’s a bit different in the lower leagues.

‘There are a lot of players out of contract every summer, fighting for positions elsewhere.’

Recruited by Danny Cowley and installed as club captain, the central defender has endured frustrated injury problems.

But, settled in his Gunwharf home, the Scot is enjoying life on the south coast and wants to say.

He added: ‘They haven’t spoken to any of us boys out of contract yet, I’m just concentrating on the remaining games.

‘I’ve have loved it at Pompey, I love living here, I love playing at Fratton Park. It’s not up to me to decide what happens.’