'Picasso' of football Robertson dies aged 72

· BBC Sport
John Robertson had successful spells with Scotland, Aston Villa and Nottingham ForestSNS/Getty Images

Former Scotland, Nottingham Forest and Derby County winger John Robertson - once described by manager Brian Clough as "a Picasso of our game" - has died at the age of 72.

Robertson scored the only goal as Nottingham Forest retained the European Cup by beating Hamburg in 1980, having delivered the cross from which Trevor Francis netted the winner the previous season against Malmo.

For Scotland, he scored a winning goal against England in 1981 and netted against New Zealand at the 1982 World Cup finals.

He earned 28 caps for his country before going on to be assistant manager to former Forest team-mate Martin O'Neill with Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa.

His 2012 biography Supertramp referenced Clough's description of him as a "scruffy, unfit, uninterested waste of time" who he turned into "one of the finest deliverers of a football I have ever seen, as fine as the Brazilians or the Italians".

His captain at Forest, John McGovern, described him as "like Ryan Giggs but with two good feet, not one" and with more ability.

Icons of Football: John Robertson

Featuring Martin O’Neill, Jonny Owen, Archie Macpherson, Alan Rough, Viv Anderson, Sherrie Hewson, John McGovern, Garry Birtles & John O’Hare

18/12/25

Watch on iPlayer

Trophies, goals & successful spells

Born in the Viewpark area of North Lanarkshire, Robertson played for Drumchapel Amateurs and Scotland at youth level before joining Forest in May 1970, making his debut later that year.

Having been on the transfer list before Clough's arrival in 1975, he became a key player under the iconic manager, appearing in 243 consecutive games between December 1976 and December 1980.

Robertson scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 1978 League Cup final replay win over Liverpool.

He was sold to Derby in 1983 for a constested transfer fee, a move which soured the relationship between Clough and his former assistant, Peter Taylor.

An early injury hampered Robertson's progress at County and, despite rejoining Forest in 1985, he never again captured the same form and moved on to non-league Corby Town, Stamford and then Grantham Town.

At Forest, he also won the First and Second Division titles, the Uefa Super Cup, two Football League Cups, the 1978 FA Charity Shield and the Anglo-Scottish Cup.

And in 2015, Robertson topped a poll by the Nottingham Post of favourite all-time Forest players.

As O'Neill's assistant, Robertson helped Wycombe win promotion from the Football Conference and Third Division, and promotion to the top tier with Leicester, as well as the League Cup.

An even more successful spell with Celtic followed.

In Glasgow, they won the Scottish Premier League three times, the Scottish Cup three times, the League Cup once and reached the Uefa Cup final.

Then, in Robertson's final season as a coach in 2010, Villa finished runners-up in the League Cup final.

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