Terry Yorath, a former title-winning midfield enforcer with Leeds who captained Wales and came close to qualifying for the 1994 World Cup team as manager, has died after a short illness. He was 75 years old.
Yorath’s death was announced by his family in a statement to British media on Thursday.
His children, including BBC television presenter Gabby Logan, said in a statement: “To many he was a revered football hero,” adding, “But to us he was a father, a quiet, kind and gentle man.”
The Welsh Football Association described Yorath as a “tough, intelligent and commanding midfielder” who “helped restore belief, competitiveness and national pride” to the national team during his time as Wales manager.
Yorath played 59 times for Wales between 1969 and 1981, including 42 as captain, and was in charge of the team from 1988 to 1993. He tried to give Wales their first World Cup qualification since 1958, but they missed out on the final round with a dramatic 2-1 defeat at home to Romania, with Wales left-back Paul Bodine missing a second-half penalty in a 1-1.
Nine years at Leeds saw Yolas develop into a tough-tackling player, and he was part of the side that won the First Division title under Don Revie in 1974 and lost to Bayern Munich in Paris in the 1975 European Cup final.
He went on to become a player-assistant coach at Coventry, Tottenham and then Bradford, before a fire broke out at the club’s Valley Parade stadium in 1985, destroying the wooden stands and killing 56 people.
One of Joras’ four children, Daniel died in 1992 at the age of 15 from a genetic heart condition after playing soccer in the garden with his father.
Gabby was hosting the BBC’s Match of the Day football highlights show on Wednesday, but she left midway through the show to be replaced by Mark Chapman, who admitted she had been replaced due to a “family emergency”.
“Our hearts are broken,” the family said in a statement, “but we take comfort in knowing he will be reunited with our brother Daniel.”
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