All-Time Premier LeagueNottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest All-Time XI

Every era of Nottingham Forest football, one XI. These are the highest-rated Nottingham Forest legends across the 1960s to today — a full 11 from goalkeeper to attack, chosen by iKnoBall's era-adjusted engine — and the record they'd post over a 38-game Premier League season.

2513projected season
avg overall 89
94
GK
Peter Shilton
Goalkeeper · 1980s
91
DEF
Stuart Pearce
Defender · 1990s
90
DEF
Des Walker
Defender · 1990s
89
DEF
Kenny Burns
Defender · 1970s
86
DEF
Viv Anderson
Defender · 1980s
90
MID
Archie Gemmill
Midfielder · 1970s
89
MID
Roy Keane
Midfielder · 1990s
88
MID
John Robertson
Midfielder · 1970s
91
FWD
Trevor Francis
Forward · 1980s
87
FWD
Stan Collymore
Forward · 1990s
86
FWD
Tony Woodcock
Forward · 1970s

Attack is weighted 55%, defence 45% — exactly how iKnoBall scores an XI. Think you'd start a different 11? Prove it.

The Case for This XI

Peter Shilton headlines the group at a 94 overall — the kind of number only genuine all-time greats reach on iKnoBall's scale. Around Shilton, the model fills out a complete XI that balances a goalkeeper, a back four, a midfield engine, and a front line across Nottingham Forest history, then simulates all 38 matches. The result — 2513 — reflects both the raw talent and how the pieces fit at both ends of the pitch.

Full All-Time Nottingham Forest Rankings

Every Nottingham Forest legend in the iKnoBall pool, ranked by era-adjusted overall. The top group forms the starting XI above; the rest are the depth chart and the debate.

PlayerPositionEraOVR
Peter ShiltonGoalkeeper1980s94
Stuart PearceDefender1990s91
Des WalkerDefender1990s90
Kenny BurnsDefender1970s89
Viv AndersonDefender1980s86
Archie GemmillMidfielder1970s90
Roy KeaneMidfielder1990s89
John RobertsonMidfielder1970s88
Trevor FrancisForward1980s91
Stan CollymoreForward1990s87
Tony WoodcockForward1970s86
Nigel CloughMidfielder1980s87
Peter DavenportForward1980s86
Garry BirtlesForward1970s85
Neil WebbMidfielder1980s85
Larry LloydDefender1970s84
Steve StoneMidfielder1990s83
Bryan RoyForward1990s83
Mark CrossleyGoalkeeper1990s83

Could you build a better XI?

Draft your own all-time Nottingham Forest — or any club across five sports — build your XI, and sim a full season chasing a perfect 38–0. Free to play.

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Frequently Asked

Who is in the all-time Nottingham Forest XI?

By iKnoBall's era-adjusted ratings the all-time Nottingham Forest XI is Peter Shilton (GK, 1980s), Stuart Pearce (DEF, 1990s), Des Walker (DEF, 1990s), Kenny Burns (DEF, 1970s), Viv Anderson (DEF, 1980s), Archie Gemmill (MID, 1970s), Roy Keane (MID, 1990s), John Robertson (MID, 1970s), Trevor Francis (FWD, 1980s), Stan Collymore (FWD, 1990s), Tony Woodcock (FWD, 1970s). Together they project to a 25–13 Premier League season.

What record would the all-time Nottingham Forest XI have?

iKnoBall's simulation projects this 11-player XI at 25–13 over a 38-game season, with an average starter rating of 89. The model runs each match as a probability from the XI's combined attacking and defensive strength, so an all-time XI contends for a near-perfect campaign but nothing is guaranteed.

How are the ratings calculated?

Each player's overall is era-adjusted so a 1960s icon and a modern superstar sit on the same 70–99 scale. Attack (midfield and forwards) is weighted 55% and defence (goalkeeper and back line) 45%, and only true all-time greats reach the mid-to-high 90s.

Can I build my own Nottingham Forest all-time XI?

Yes — iKnoBall is a free game where you draft one legend per era, build your all-time XI, and simulate a full season chasing a perfect 38–0. Play it free at play.iknoball.com.

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Ratings are era-adjusted and computed by iKnoBall's simulation engine. Records are model projections for entertainment, not predictions. Player names belong to their respective owners; iKnoBall is an independent fan-made game.