Thu 25 Dec - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 2mins
It is with great sadness that Derby County has learned of the passing of its former player John Robertson.
It was announced on Thursday 25th December that Robertson had passed away at the age of 72.
Robertson, who started and finished his professional playing career across Brian Clough Way with Nottingham Forest and represented Scotland at international level, spent the 1983/84 and 1984/85 seasons with the Rams.
The winger enjoyed great success domestically and in Europe with Derby’s East Midlands neighbours, playing just over 500 games and scoring 95 goals between 1970 and 1983.
Robertson’s two seasons with the Rams saw him play 85 times in all competitions, scoring four goals, during a challenging period on the field at the Baseball Ground.
Initially signed by the late Peter Taylor, he was on the books under the management of Roy McFarland, on a caretaker basis, and then Arthur Cox.
Robertson returned to Forest in the summer of 1985 and saw out his professional career at the City Ground in the 1985/86 campaign, before moving into non-league football for a period.
On the international stage, Robertson was capped 28 times by Scotland. He scored in a 1-0 victory against England in May 1981 and was also on target in a 5-2 success against New Zealand at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
It was with Derby that Robertson gained his last cap for Scotland, in a 1-1 draw against Belgium in October 1983, while he scored his eighth and final goal for his country shortly after moving to the Baseball Ground in a 2-0 win over Uruguay in September 1983.
Upon retiring, Robertson worked on the coaching staff alongside his former Forest team-mate Martin O’Neill at the likes of Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa.
Derby County’s deepest condolences and thoughts are with John’s family and friends at this difficult time.
