The legendary Forest left winger passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 72. He left his mark in the finals of the two major European competitions won by the club: an assist in 1979 and the decisive goal in 1980

The legendary coach Brian Clough called him the “Picasso of our game.” British soccer today bids farewell to one of its great champions, John Robertson, who passed away at the age of 72. A legend at Nottingham Forest (ten years ago, fans voted him the most beloved player in the club’s history), he also left his mark with Derby County and his national team, Scotland.

With Nottingham Forest, the Glasgow winger won seven trophies, including two European Cups: in 1979, he provided the assist for Trevor Francis in the victory over Malmoe, and in 1980, he was decisive in scoring the goal against Hamburg. With Scotland (28 appearances and 8 goals), he scored the winning goal in the famous match against England in 1981. John McGovern, captain of that Forest team, once made an important comparison: “Robertson is like Giggs, except he wasn’t just good with his left foot, he was good with both feet.”

Career—  After a career spanning 16 seasons, 599 games, and 99 goals, in 1990 he became assistant coach to his former teammate Martin O’Neill, whom he followed for almost 20 years on the benches of Wycombe, Norwich City, Leicester City (winning the club’s first ever trophy), Celtic (reaching the UEFA Cup final against a young Mourinho’s Porto), and Aston Villa.

The memory—  Nottingham Forest’s moving tribute on social media remembers “a great of our club and two-time European Cup winner”: “John’s unparalleled talent, his humility and his unwavering devotion to Nottingham Forest will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with John’s family, his friends and all those who loved him.”