He was a vital member of Nottingham Forest’s all-conquering team.
Nottingham Forest great John Robertson has passed away at the age of 72. The Premier League club confirmed his death on Thursday.
Robertson was a key figure in Forest’s legendary side. The late English coach Brian Clough was so impressed by Robertson’s elegant style of play that he famously called him “the Picasso of our game.” The nickname stayed with him throughout his career.
Robertson played a decisive role in Nottingham Forest’s European successes. In the 1980 European Cup final against Hamburg, his lone goal secured back-to-back continental glory for the club. He had also contributed in the previous year’s final, providing the cross that led to Trevor Francis’ winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Malmö.
After spending the peak of his career at Forest, Robertson went on to play two seasons with Derby County.
He also produced several memorable performances for the national team. In 1981, he scored the winning goal against England, and the following year he found the net again in the World Cup against New Zealand.
Robertson earned a total of 28 caps for Scotland. After ending his playing career, he moved into coaching.
