The director of I Believe in Miracles has praised Nottingham Forest legend John Robertson’s induction into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame.
The former Forest ace won back-to-back European Cups under iconic manager Brian Clough and was recognised for his achievements at a ceremony in Manchester.
The 63-year-old Scotsman is widely regarded as the Reds’ greatest ever player and was dubbed the “Picasso of our game” by former boss Clough.
Robertson said: “I couldn’t be more proud. It’s a brilliant accolade to have. I think it proves to yourself that you’ve achieved something that you dreamed about as a kid. It’s a great honour.
“This award tells you I must’ve played with some jolly good players – I didn’t do it myself. I played with some great players.”
It was wonderful to see him mixing in that kind of company
Jonny Owen, director of the critically-acclaimed film I Believe in Miracles which documented Forest’s 1979 European Cup-winning triumph, attended and described Robertson’s accolade as “fantastic” and “well deserved”.
“There were a lot of top players [at the ceremony]: Rio Ferdinand, Dennis Irwin, David Seaman and John was amongst them. It was wonderful to see him [Robertson] mixing in that kind of company,” he said.
“He’s Nottingham Forest’s greatest ever player. There’s no doubt about that. He scored the winning goal in a European Cup final, he assisted in another.
“There’s no one else who will do that again for the club. So it’s great that he’s getting honoured in this – not just in Nottingham, but across football and across the country.”
He added: “He was very similar to Lionel Messi. He had a low centre of gravity, a fantastic left foot and he could beat a man.
“He was devastating in the sense that if you gave him the ball he would create something for you. There’s few players who can do that.”
Robertson delivered an inch-perfect cross for Trevor Francis to head home the winning goal as Forest won their first European Cup against Malmo in 1979.
The mercurial winger also scored the decisive goal as Forest thwarted Kevin Keegan’s Hamburg the following year.
The ex-Scotland international made more than 500 appearances for the City Ground club and, between 1977 and 1980, the Reds won two League Cups, beat Barcelona in the European Super Cup and went on a 42-game unbeaten run in the league.
The rest of Forest’s two-time European Cup-winning heroes will be inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame at a ceremony at Nottingham Arena next month.
Robertson said: “It’s great the lads have all been inducted in the hall of fame – it’s great, fantastic.
“You don’t win two European Cups being mugs. We played at a time when Liverpool, in 1979/80, were as good a team as there’s been. I think the lads are entitled to be called ‘great’.”
Robertson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Salford on Wednesday, October 19.
