If you could pick the greatest Nottingham Forest team of all time — players from any era, at their peak — who would make the cut? It is a question that has been debated in pubs, living rooms, and internet forums across Nottingham for decades, and there is no definitive answer. But here is our attempt at the ultimate Forest XI: a team that spans more than a century of history, from the Clough era to the modern day, and includes some of the finest players ever to wear the Garibaldi red.
Our Formation
The classic formation, fitting for a club whose greatest achievements came in the era of 4-4-2.
Goalkeeper
Peter Shilton
There is no debate here. Peter Shilton is the greatest goalkeeper in English football history and he was at his absolute peak during his five years at Nottingham Forest. Signed from Stoke City for a then-record fee for a goalkeeper of £270,000 in September 1977, Shilton was the final piece of Clough's jigsaw. In his first season, he kept 24 clean sheets in 42 league games as Forest won the First Division title. He was ever-present for both European Cup triumphs, conceding just two goals across two finals (both 1-0 victories). He won 125 England caps in total and is widely regarded as the best 'keeper of his generation.
Defence
Viv Anderson
Viv Anderson made history on 29 November 1978 when he became the first Black player to win a full England cap, in a friendly against Czechoslovakia at Wembley. But for Forest fans, his significance goes far beyond that milestone. Anderson was a product of the Forest academy who developed into one of the finest right-backs in Europe. Athletic, quick, comfortable on the ball, and brave in the tackle, he was a key member of the team that won the league title and both European Cups. He made over 430 appearances for the club across a decade of extraordinary success.
Kenny Burns
Kenny Burns is perhaps the greatest example of Clough's genius for seeing potential that others missed. When Forest signed Burns from Birmingham City for £150,000 in the summer of 1977, he was a striker with a reputation for indiscipline. Clough converted him to centre-half and, within a year, Burns was voted the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year. He was commanding in the air, ferocious in the tackle, and read the game brilliantly. Alongside Larry Lloyd, he formed a centre-back partnership that was the bedrock of Forest's title-winning and European Cup-winning sides.
Des Walker
If Burns was the immovable object, Des Walker was the irresistible force of Forest defending. Walker was perhaps the quickest centre-half English football has ever produced — a defender who could recover from any position, intercept passes that seemed beyond reach, and nullify the fastest strikers in the league through sheer pace and anticipation. He was a key member of the Forest side that won two League Cups (1989, 1990) and reached the FA Cup final in 1991. The Trent End sang his name constantly: "You'll never beat Des Walker." They weren't far wrong. He won 59 England caps and was widely regarded as the best defender in England during his Forest years.
Stuart Pearce
Stuart "Psycho" Pearce is, by some distance, the most beloved Forest player of the post-Clough era — and one of the most popular players in the club's entire history. Signed from non-league Wealdstone for just £30,000 in 1985, Pearce became an England legend, earning 78 caps and captaining his country. At Forest, he was a left-back of extraordinary power and commitment. His thunderbolt free kicks were legendary, his tackling was bone-crunching, and his passion was unmatched. He captained Forest with ferocious intensity for over a decade, through two League Cup wins, an FA Cup final appearance, and the heartbreak of relegation in 1993.
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John Robertson
John Robertson is, quite simply, the most important player in Nottingham Forest's history. When Clough arrived in 1975, Robertson was an overweight, unmotivated reserve winger whom most managers would have released without a second thought. Clough saw something different. He transformed Robertson into the finest left winger in Europe — a player who could beat any defender, deliver crosses of pinpoint accuracy, and score decisive goals in the biggest matches. Robertson scored the winning goal in the 1980 European Cup final against Hamburg. He assisted Trevor Francis for the winner in the 1979 final. He scored the penalty that won the 1978 League Cup. He was, in Clough's own words, "a very, very good player."
John McGovern
John McGovern was not the most gifted footballer. He was not the fastest, the strongest, or the most skilful. What he was, though, was Brian Clough's on-field representative — the man who carried out the manager's instructions to the letter, game after game, season after season. McGovern captained Forest to the league title and both European Cup victories, lifting the trophy in Munich and Madrid. He controlled the tempo of matches, recycled possession simply and efficiently, and provided the midfield discipline that allowed more creative players to flourish. He followed Clough from Hartlepools to Derby to Leeds to Forest, and his loyalty was rewarded with the captaincy of a European Cup-winning team.
Archie Gemmill
Archie Gemmill spent only two seasons at Forest, but what seasons they were. Signed from Derby County in September 1977, the diminutive Scottish midfielder was a dynamo — tenacious, technically excellent, and blessed with an engine that never stopped. He was a key figure in the 1977-78 title-winning campaign, bringing energy and creativity to the midfield alongside McGovern. He was controversially dropped by Clough for the 1979 European Cup final (a decision that led to a permanent rift), but his contribution to the league title and the European Cup campaign up to the final was immense. And, of course, he had already scored that goal for Scotland against the Netherlands at the 1978 World Cup — widely considered one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.
Roy Keane
Before he became the fearsome captain of Manchester United, Roy Keane was a young Irishman making his name at Nottingham Forest. Signed from Cobh Ramblers in 1990 for just £47,000, Keane quickly established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in English football. He was combative, technically accomplished, and had an insatiable will to win. In three seasons at the City Ground, Keane made 154 appearances and scored 33 goals — remarkable numbers for a midfielder. His performances attracted the attention of every big club in England, and in 1993 he joined Manchester United for a then-British record fee of £3.75 million. Forest fans always knew he was destined for greatness.
Attack
Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis was Britain's first million-pound footballer, signed from Birmingham City in February 1979 for £1,180,000 (the fee was actually slightly above the symbolic million mark to cover various add-ons). Francis was an extraordinary talent — lightning-quick, technically gifted, and utterly fearless. He scored the winning goal in the 1979 European Cup final with a diving header, having been ineligible for the earlier rounds due to registration rules. His time at Forest was relatively brief (around two years before moving to Manchester City), but the impact was seismic. That header in Munich immortalised him in Forest history forever.
Nigel Clough
Yes, he was the manager's son. And yes, that meant Nigel Clough faced accusations of nepotism throughout his career. But the facts speak for themselves: 131 goals in 401 appearances for Nottingham Forest, 14 England caps, and a playing style of such intelligence and craft that he was often compared to the great playmakers of the European game. Nigel was not a conventional striker. He dropped deep, linked play, created chances for others, and scored goals of real quality. He was the creative heartbeat of Clough senior's second great Forest side, the team that won two League Cups and reached the FA Cup final. He proved his right to the shirt on merit, not bloodline.
Manager
Brian Clough OBE
Who else? Brian Clough managed Nottingham Forest for 18 years and six months, winning two European Cups, one First Division title, four League Cups, and the Anglo-Scottish Cup. He transformed a mid-table Second Division side into the best club team on the continent. He discovered, signed, and developed players that nobody else wanted. He built not one but two great Forest sides across nearly two decades. He was irascible, brilliant, controversial, compassionate, and utterly unique. There has never been another manager like him, and there never will be. Old Big 'Ead was the greatest.
The Debate
Every Forest fan will have their own All-Time XI, and nobody's will be the same. The beauty of this debate is in the arguments. Should Larry Lloyd start alongside Burns instead of Des Walker? Should Ian Bowyer — scorer of vital European Cup goals — replace Gemmill? Does Garry Birtles, who went from non-league football to scoring in the European Cup, deserve a place over Nigel Clough? What about Tony Woodcock, who was so good that Arsenal came calling? Or Stan Collymore, whose 41 goals in two seasons at the City Ground in the mid-1990s were breathtaking?
What about Martin O'Neill, the clever, tenacious midfielder who was a key part of both European Cup-winning squads? Or Frank Clark, the experienced left-back signed from Newcastle who was so solid in the title-winning campaign? Or Grenville Morris, the club's all-time leading scorer with 217 goals between 1898 and 1913?
That is the joy of a club with the history of Nottingham Forest. There are too many legends to fit into one team. The XI above is our best attempt, but we know it will provoke fierce disagreement — and that is exactly the point. Great clubs inspire great debate, and Nottingham Forest is a very great club indeed.
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