John Toshack has suffered from health problems in recent years (Image: Getty Images)
Welsh football icon John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia. His son Cameron revealed the heartbreaking news in a conversation with the Daily Mail. Cameron, who is currently the assistant manager of Thailand’s Buriram United, confessed that his father “has good days and bad days.”
However, he added that he still remembers the entire team lineup from a game he attended many years ago. “This is a terrible disease,” Prime Minister David Cameron explained. “What we’re looking at is short-term memory. I talk to him almost every day, but if we chat in the afternoon, he might not remember that we talked in the morning.”
“But if you ask him about his time at Liverpool, about Sociedad and about Madrid, he gives amazing details.
“The other day he was reflecting on Real Madrid’s game against Arrigo Saachi’s AC Milan and exactly how he adjusted his midfield to counter Marco van Basten.
“That game could have been yesterday, his memory was so vivid.
“I will talk to him about what we are doing in Thailand and he still gives us great advice.
“As a manager, he could always predict two or three moves ahead. It was always in my genes, really.”
Toshack was a bona fide football superstar during his playing days, joining Liverpool from Cardiff City in 1970 in a deal worth £100,000.
He won nine trophies at Anfield, including three First Division titles and one European Cup.
John Toshack, commander of Wydad AC. (Image: Getty Images)
He then moved to Swansea City as player-manager, leading the club to three promotions in four seasons.
Former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly described Toshack as “the manager of the century” after leading them from the Fourth Division to the First Division.
His departure from South Wales was followed by one of the most varied managerial careers in English football.
Throughout his managerial career, he managed some of Europe’s most prestigious clubs, including Sporting Lisbon, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña, Besiktas and Saint-Etienne.
With Madrid he won the La Liga title in 1990.
He spent two spells as Wales manager. First on a short part-time basis in 1994, then from 2004 to 2010, during that second spell he helped develop the talents of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen.
The 77-year-old has had health problems in recent years since being admitted to intensive care in 2022, while battling pneumonia due to complications from the coronavirus.
Last year, he rarely appeared in public and made headlines when he received the diamond and gold badge from his former club Real Sociedad, the highest honors a La Liga club can bestow.
The emotional moment took place before the match against his former club Real Madrid.
The Welshman was given a standing ovation.
