Caley Thistle manager John Robertson has revealed he is using the Scottish football shutdown to finish his autobiography.
The 55-year-old, who was inducted into the Scottish hall of fame in October, is Hearts’ record goalscorer and won 16 caps for Scotland during an illustrious playing career.
Robertson, now in his second spell in charge of Inverness, says writing about his playing days has helped him fill the time since Scottish football went into shutdown on March 13.
He said: “I had written up until Dens Park in 1986 (when Hearts lost the title on the final day of the season to Celtic) and stopped about three years ago.
“When I came back to Caley Thistle I left it because I felt I had to give the job everything I had. In lockdown, I was getting bored and it was mentioned to me by a friend who asked if I had thought about doing an autobiography.
“I told him I had written until 1986 and he asked why I didn’t do the rest of it.
“One of the best autobiographies I have read was Roy Keane’s book. It was very good, especially the early stuff.
“I read the first couple of chapters and the last couple of chapters again and it give me the bug to start writing again.
“The book is going to be up until the end of the playing days as so much happened.
“Even more has happened in the management side. I am up to 1990 and just about to get to the stuff behind my first cap.
“I am hoping to get pretty close to the end by the end of lockdown. After that, you still have to speak to publishers.”
Robertson was speaking to The Longest Forty to help raise funds for Highland mental health charity Mikey’s Line, which aims to help young people with depression and suicidal thoughts.
The charity was set up five years ago following the deaths of two friends, Mikey Williamson and Martin Shaw, within days of each other. The men were both aged 23.
Robertson said: “Unfortunately Inverness has one of the highest suicide rates among teenagers.
“The charity gets no NHS funding or government support at all at the moment – 70% of their income comes from events and donations.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic they have also extended the service to people with mental health issues such as depression.
“It is a small, local charity but hugely important for Inverness and Highland.”
To make a donation to Mikey’s Line visit The Longest Forty facebook page.
