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

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

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

the tribute—  Nottingham Forest shared a moving tribute on social media, remembering “a club legend and two-time European Cup winner”: “John’s unparalleled talent,” the club continued, “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.”