John Robertson, the Nottingham Forest and Scotland legend, has died at the age of 72. The former winger was a pivotal figure in Brian Clough's great Forest side, winning back-to-back European Cups, the First Division title and two League Cups.
Robertson set up Trevor Francis's winner in the 1979 European Cup final and scored the decisive goal against Hamburg in 1980. He earned 28 Scotland caps, scoring the winner against England at Wembley in 1981. Clough described him as “the Picasso of our game”.
Born in Uddingston, Lanarkshire in 1953, Robertson joined Forest in 1970 but struggled initially due to a lack of professionalism. A showdown with assistant manager Peter Taylor in 1976 forced him to change his ways, unleashing his talent.
He made over 500 appearances for Forest, scoring 95 goals, and later played for Derby County before returning to Forest. After retiring, he became a successful coach, spending five years as Martin O'Neill's assistant at Celtic, winning three league titles and reaching the Uefa Cup final.
Forest said in a statement: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Nottingham Forest legend and dear friend, John Robertson. A true great of our club and a double European Cup winner, John’s unrivalled talent, humility and unwavering devotion to Nottingham Forest will never ever be forgotten.”
A statement from Robertson's family said: “John passed away peacefully on Christmas morning with his wife and family by his side, after a long illness. Our only comfort in our grief is that his struggles are now over, and he is reunited with daughter, Jessica.”
