Robertson had performed for Scotland at schoolboy and youth degree earlier than becoming a member of Forest as a youngster in 1970. He had did not make an affect till Clough’s appointment, however the nice supervisor noticed one thing he might nurture.

In his autobiography Clough wrote: “Not often might there have been a extra unlikely wanting skilled athlete… scruffy, unfit, uninterested waste of time… however one thing advised me he was price persevering with and he grew to become one of many most interesting deliverers of a soccer I’ve ever seen.”

He additionally wrote: “If sooner or later, I felt a bit off color, I might sit subsequent to him. I used to be bloody Errol Flynn compared. However give him a ball and a yard of grass, and he was an artist, the Picasso of our recreation.”

Clough was idolised by Robertson, who mentioned: “I knew he appreciated me however I liked him. I would not have had a profession with out him.”

Robertson performed in 243 consecutive video games between December 1976 and December 1980, and regardless of the big-name buys akin to England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and Francis, Britain’s first £1m footballer, he was the participant who made Forest tick.

For all of the expertise elsewhere, Robertson was Forest’s fulcrum.

In Forest’s first season again within the prime flight underneath Clough in 1977-78, Robertson not solely performed an important position in profitable the title, but additionally scored the winner from the penalty spot towards Liverpool of their League Cup remaining replay at Outdated Trafford.

It was not simply Clough who recognised Robertson’s significance, with former team-mate Martin O’Neill saying: “He was essentially the most influential participant in Europe for possibly three-and-a-half to 4 years.”

And Forest’s captain underneath Clough, John McGovern, said: “He was like Ryan Giggs however with two good ft.”

All this regardless of Robertson’s personal admission that he had no tempo and couldn’t deal with.

Clough, nonetheless, was not bothered about what Robertson couldn’t do, preferring to offer him licence to focus on what he might do. It was the proper footballing marriage of supervisor and participant. Two maverick characters working in concord.

In a well-known interview earlier than the 1980 European Cup remaining towards Hamburg, who had England captain Kevin Keegan of their aspect, Clough was requested in regards to the prospect of their nice Germany right-back Manfred Kaltz protecting Robertson quiet.

“We have got slightly fats man who will flip him inside out,” mentioned Clough. “A really gifted, extremely expert, unbelievable outside-left.”