And he believes that, by pumping iron all summer, he can help make sure he clocks up more game time in the coming season.

“Last year, I got into the team and got some regular games near the end of the season, but, earlier on, I was in and out, so it is in my mind to be in from the start this time,” he said.

“I’ve looked at my game and, while I can run all day, I know I am not the biggest and that is why I have been focusing on gym work during the summer.

“You come up against big players in the SPL and, in the past, I feel their strength has given them an advantage over me.

“It’s not a problem from the point of view that if they knock me down I’ll keep getting up and challenging them again, but what I want to do is win more ball and improving my strength should do that.”

And, while Robertson is generally recognised as a central midfielder whose forte is getting into the penalty box, as long as his new regime gets him into the starting line-up, he does not care where.

“At the end of the season, I was playing on the right side of the midfield and, to be honest, I am happy to play anywhere.

“I like the middle, but I feel I can do a job coming in from wide and wherever you are in the team is better than not playing.”

Looking at the squad as a whole, he believes the disappointment of missing out on a Europa Cup place on the final day will spur United on to better things this time round.

“It still hurts, because we had a successful season, but it finished on a low point. We had all arranged to go out after the game against Rangers, but, after what happened, we just all drifted away and did our own thing.”

Meanwhile, United have been re-united with the most famous match ball in their history and which is now one of the star attractions of an exhibition to mark the club’s centenary, which opened to the public at the Central Library today.

It’s the Mitre with which Ralph Milne famously chipped Dundee goalkeeper Colin Kelly in the 2-1 league victory at Dens Park in May 1983 that clinched the Premier League title.

The ball was later raffled and has spent most of the years since in Ireland, but it arrived back in Dundee yesterday, just a few hours before chairman Stephen Thompson officially opened the exhibition last night.

It runs until July 11, after which the ball will be given a new home at Tannadice.

Greg Cameron won’t be facing Real Madrid — including new signing Ronaldo — as the Dundee United midfielder’s loan with Shamrock Rovers ends on Sunday.

That effectively means they will be paying two-for-the-price-of-one.

“When you look at it that way, we are costing ourselves money, but we wanted to show we are supporting season ticket sales,” said director Calum Melville.

It is the Aberdeen oilman who is bankrolling the scheme under which every new, as opposed to renewed, season ticket bought will mean double its face value being added to boss Jocky Scott’s player kitty.

With sales already certain to top last season’s figure by a considerable margin, that is set to cost him a six-figure sum.

“I can’t give you exact figures yet, but (fellow-director) Ian Bodie says there has been an increase over this time last year and we are on course for quite a hike.”

And he was keen to stress this latest gesture by the four-man board of chairman Bob Brannan, George Knight, Bodie and himself, had not just been a PR exercise.

“When we decided on it, it was a case of out with the credit cards straight away and everyone of us has paid for them just like any other fan has to.”

However, he took ill in an away fixture against Stirling Albion as the 2008 season drew to a close and that triggered an illness and injury nightmare that he’s only now recovering from.

A virus which hit him during the Stirling game not only meant a 10-day hospital stay, but it was the turn of the year before the striker felt he’d fully got over it.

Then, three first-team games into his comeback last season, he suffered a partial rupture of his left Achilles tendon at home to Livingston and that was Andy’s season over.

He had to wear a knee-length surgical boot for four months as part of the healing process, not even taking it off to go to bed, but now he’s looking to make up for lost time.

Since the end of last season, he’s been in at McDiarmid Park every day to work on his fitness with physio Nick Summersgill, breaking only for a week’s holiday in Turkey.

Andy said, “I feel a lot fitter now and I can’t wait for the new season. I’m really excited about playing for Saints in the SPL and have been putting in the work to make sure I’m ready.

“Now I just hope to get back playing without any mishaps.”

St Johnstone chairman Geoff Brown will speak at a ‘networking’ lunch, organised by the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce at the Salutation Hotel, Perth, on Tuesday, June 23. To book, visit the website www.perthshirechamber.co.uk