A regular with City’s Premier League 2-dominating U-23s, a regular fixture at first team training under Pep Guardiola and twice on the bench for senior side, Robertson, 19, has still to make his debut.

And the time is dawning, he believes, to make the next step in his unfurling career - whether that’s at the Eitihad or elsewhere.

A buccaneering 25-minute cameo off the bench for Australia in last month’s 3-1 win over Ecuador in Sydney revealed the potential bursting from within. 

Tenacity. Vision. Awareness. Energy. Poise. Robertson appears to possess all of the above.

So what is the optimal strategy to maximise those qualities and ensure that his undoubted promise is fulfilled?

It looks like a loan, or possibly a permanent move, are the most obvious next steps.

“Hopefully next season I’ll get out and get some men’s football under my belt to test and challenge myself,” Robertson said. “It could be a loan or it could be permanent to be fair, whatever comes about.

“I spoke to City at the start of the season, and maybe their thoughts might have changed now with a permanent.

“Previously their thinking was ‘if the right permanent comes about we’ll look into it’. But also if the right loan crops up then that would equally be a good way to stay on the books at Man City.

“It’s a tough squad to break into when you have the quality of Kevin De Bruyne, İlkay Gündoğan and Bernardo Silva. These are people I’ve been watching since I was a kid. To be able to even speak to them, train with them and share a pitch with them, if you told me that when I was a kid in Maroubra (Sydney) I’d tell you to go away. It’s such a privilege.”

Amid all the future planning, the third generation Socceroo - grandad Alexander and dad Mark both donned the green and gold - Robertson hasn’t given up on getting the nod from Guardiola before the end of the season, as City chases an EPL, Champions League and FA Cup treble.

“If it comes it comes - it’s a goal of mine I work towards every day, to try and make my debut before the end of the season,” he said.

“Those decisions are out of my hands but I’m thankful to have been involved in a couple of squads (Champions League and Carabao Cup) and hopefully I can be involved in a few more.

“For the manager to have the faith to put me on the bench was a bit special, and hopefully he’ll show a bit more and I’ll be able to make my debut.

“It’s such a strong squad, and so hard to break into but maybe I’ll get a little opportunity and take it. And that could be me.”

Training alongside master craftsman like  De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Rodri, Silva and Gündoğan has helped enrich Robertson’s own game.

“When I’m training with the first team I feel I do a lot better than I normally would because I’m surrounded by some of the best players in the world,” he explained.

“I feel at the top of my game - I’m looking to bring what I’m learning to the U-23s in each match and also with the Socceroos.

“Against Ecuador I think I did well when I came on. They have some great midfielders and it was a top challenge. I enjoy testing myself against great players because I think that brings the best out of me. Hopefully I’ll be able to do more of that in the near future.”

To be where he is at this point is testament to Robertson’s character after three years of seemingly endless injuries threatened to derail his ambitions.

“I’ve had some pretty tough times with injuries. I look back to this time last year (when he was sidelined) and it makes me really happy for where I am now,” he said.

“There was also the loan (to Ross County where he barely featured) that probably didn’t help my development.

“They’re all setbacks. But, in life, and in football it’s about how you respond to setbacks.

“Everybody has their own pathway. Some players will break on to the scene earlier than others. I’ve got friends who’ve experienced that and then again other great players might have had some bad luck with injuries, or have gone on loan and aren’t playing.

“It’s about running your own race and not comparing yourself to others because sometimes that can kill you.

“It’s easier said than done. I’ve been there when I’ve been injured and I’ve watched my friends playing. You’re still happy for them but sometimes you look at them and where you are and it doesn’t make you feel great.

“But that’s never a good thing. You have follow your own path - everything happens for a reason, I believe.”

Though he remains eligible for Scotland, England and Peru, Robertson’s heart is firmly committed to Australia.

“I’ve got to keep playing well and do my best so I can get picked again,” he added. “I loved being back home making my debut in Sydney in front of family and friends. It was very special. To make my debut so early in my career was also awesome.

“The manager (Graham Arnold) has great man management skills. I didn’t feel scared going into the camp. I felt no pressure. Speaking to him made me feel so much calmer.

“When I arrived he just said ‘you’re here for a reason - just do your thing and don’t feel pressure from anyone’.

“That just allowed me to play my game and I hope I brought something to the squad, and can do so again in the future.”