DAVID Robertson is a man who has quite the story to tell and it neatly falls into phases. 

One sees him as a 17-year-old, clad in a crimson red shirt, about to break into the great Sir Alex Ferguson team of the 1980s. Another comes when he makes the move to Rangers, winning six league titles and sharing a dressing room with Gazza, McCoist, Laudrup, and company. 

The modern day is the phase most people know. In January 2017 he left the relative comfort of Houston, Texas, to coach Real Kashmir, thrusting himself into the heart of a powderkeg and telling the tale, warts and all, during a BAFTA-winning BBC documentary. 

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The funny thing about the 52-year-old is that these tidbits barely scratch the surface, so it’s only natural he’s finally decided to put them all in one place. 

The Quiet Man Roars is the definitive autobiography of the Aberdeen native, bringing together his life story with input from teammates, former managers, and, importantly, family and friends. 

Written alongside author Alistair Aird, it will be released at the end of the month and promises to show a different side entirely to the fullback. 

“The stories that I got from David are incredible,” says Alistair, who has previously published books on Ally McCoist and Davie Wilson. “People have seen the BBC documentaries and that’s what spawned the title. My partner came up with The Quiet Man Roars because he had this reputation – and that’s come from everyone I spoke to – that he was this quiet guy in the dressing room.

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“But now in his managerial career he is fond of a rant or two. 

“It’s a story within a story when you get to Kashmir and what he’s doing there is just remarkable.

“What the documentaries don’t show enough – and I have been lucky enough to speak to people in Kashmir – is that he is an incredible man manager and he treats his players in a manner that gets him respect.

“David has kept a lot of scrapbooks and he sent me so much stuff from his schooldays. I like to do a lot of research and what I have found working with David is that doing that has triggered things in his mind he had forgotten about.

“That’s then helped to flesh the bones of what we were talking about. It’s been a really good working relationship. We’d speak for 30 minutes or 40 minutes at a time.”

Robertson, who also played for Leeds United and Scotland, first burst onto the scene at Aberdeen alongside the likes of Alex McLeish and Willie Millie. But, it wasn’t always plain sailing for the then teenager. 

“When he was a 17-year-old boy at Aberdeen and gave away a penalty kick, Sir Alex Ferguson crucified him,” Alistair says. “Not just in the dressing room but in the press. To relate that in today’s game, that kind of stuff doesn’t happen anymore. Managers don’t always criticise their players.

Glasgow Times: Alistair with a copy of the book Alistair with a copy of the book

“That could have ruined Davie’s career. That hairdryer moment. They then played in a youth cup final against Celtic and were 2-0 down at half-time. Sir Alex came down to the dressing room at half-time and Davie said you could see the flecks of spit coming out of his mouth, he was shouting that much.

“They came back and won the game and Sir Alex came down at the end and was a different animal. He congratulated the kids individually.”

Anecdotes likes this are littered throughout the book but, Alistair says, something more important is at the heart of it. 

“The other thing that really jumped out, having spoken to his family, is that he is a real family man,” Alistair added. “That’s a challenge for him in Kashmir. He finds it very difficult not being able to communicate with his family and you could hear it in his voice sometimes when we spoke about that.

Glasgow Times: David Robertson now lives in Kashmir David Robertson now lives in Kashmir

“It’s quite upsetting for him. But his passion and focus is on his football.

“The last word in the book is his wife Kim and that’s a nice touch. They are high school sweethearts and she’s been involved in the nuts and bolts of it right from the start.

“She had her doubts but has come round to it now.”

The Quiet Man Roars is to be released by Pitch Publishing on Monday, March 29. Visit here to preorder.