# John Robertson (footballer, born 1964)
**John Robertson** (John Grant Robertson, born 1964 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish former professional footballer and coach. A right-footed center-forward, he retired as a player on 1 July 2000 after his final club, Livingston FC, and is recorded by Transfermarkt as making most of his appearances for Heart of Midlothian.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040) He later worked in management and backroom roles in Scottish football, most recently as assistant manager of Ross County until 4 May 2026.[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/john-robertson/profil/trainer/1812)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | John Grant Robertson[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/john-robertson/profil/trainer/1812) |
| Born | 1964, Edinburgh, Scotland[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040) |
| Playing position | Centre-forward; right-footed; height 1.70 m[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040) |
| Scotland record | 16 caps, 3 goals[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040) |
| Playing career end | Retired 1 July 2000; last club Livingston FC; most games for Heart of Midlothian[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040) |
| Family | Father of Liam Robertson; youth club Salvesen Boys Club[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040) |
| Final coaching post | Assistant manager, Ross County, until 4 May 2026[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/john-robertson/profil/trainer/1812) |
## Playing career
Robertson came through Salvesen Boys Club before playing senior football in Scotland and England.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040) Transfermarkt records Heart of Midlothian as the club he represented most often, with Livingston as his last club before his retirement on 1 July 2000.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040) At international level he won 16 caps for Scotland and scored 3 goals.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040)
## Management and coaching
**Inverness Caledonian Thistle.** Robertson's coaching career is documented in Scottish football from the mid-2010s. In 2016 he was confirmed as manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, signing a two-year deal after leaving an ambassadorial role with Hearts; at the time he said he considered himself a better manager than earlier in his career.[3](https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/inverness-caledonian-thistle/1267466/john-robertson-i-think-i-am-a-better-manager-now/) A Guardian report in 2021 described him as manager of [Inverness](https://www.edgepedia.org/inverness) in April 2019 before moving into the sporting director role.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/14/john-robertson-hearts-legend-80s-rangers-inverness)
**Sporting director and caretaker.** In May 2021 Robertson returned to Inverness Caledonian Thistle as sporting director while the club sought a new manager.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57102188) In October 2023, after head coach Billy Dodds and assistant Barry Wilson were sacked with the club bottom of the [Scottish Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/scottish-championship), Robertson and academy director Charlie Christie took charge of the team until a new head coach was appointed.[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66834718)
**Ross County.** Transfermarkt's manager profile records his last position as assistant manager of Ross County, a post he left on 4 May 2026, after which he was listed as without a club.[2](https://www.transfermarkt.us/john-robertson/profil/trainer/1812)
## A shared name
This John Robertson should not be confused with the Nottingham Forest and Scotland winger [John Neilson Robertson](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-robertson-footballer-born-1953), born 1953, who signed for Forest in 1970, won 28 Scotland caps, and scored the only goal in the 1980 European Cup final.[7](https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/en/teams/mens-team/john-n-robertson) The two men are near-contemporaries from Scotland with overlapping international eras, which makes the disambiguation by birth year the standard way of telling them apart in reference works.
## References
1. [John Robertson, player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/john-robertson/profil/spieler/131040)
2. [John Robertson, manager profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/john-robertson/profil/trainer/1812)
3. [John Robertson: 'I think I am a better manager now', Press and Journal](https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/inverness-caledonian-thistle/1267466/john-robertson-i-think-i-am-a-better-manager-now/)
4. [John Robertson: 'The opportunities we missed at Hearts were huge', The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/14/john-robertson-hearts-legend-80s-rangers-inverness)
5. [John Robertson back at Inverness Caley Thistle as club seek new manager, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57102188)
6. [Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Billy Dodds and Barry Wilson sacked, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66834718)
7. [John N Robertson, Men's A Squad, Scottish FA](https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/en/teams/mens-team/john-n-robertson)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Managers and coaches › Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish managers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license