John Toshack’s son Cameron has confirmed that the legendary former Liverpool player and Wales manager has been diagnosed with dementia.
Welsh football legend John Toshack (Image: Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Welsh football legend John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia, his son Cameron has revealed.
Cameron, who is currently assistant manager at Buriram United in Thailand, admitted that his father has “good days and bad days”. But his legendary father said in a health update that he still remembers all the members of the game from decades ago.
“This is a terrible disease,” Prime Minister David Cameron told the Daily Mail. “What we’re looking at is short-term memory. I talk to him almost every day, and 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, Sociedad and Madrid, the details are amazing. The other day he told me about Real Madrid’s match against Arrigo Saatchi’s AC Milan and exactly how he adjusted his midfield to deal with Marco van Basten.”
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“The game could have been yesterday, his memory was very clear.
“I tell him about what we’re doing in Thailand and he still gives great advice. As a manager, he was always looking two or three moves ahead, and that’s always been in my genes, really.”
Toshack was a true footballing icon during his playing days, signing for Liverpool from Cardiff City in 1970 for a fee of £100,000. He won nine trophies at Anfield, including three First Division titles and one European Cup.
He then moved to Swansea City as player-manager, leading the club to three promotions in four seasons. Former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly called Toshack the “manager of the century” for his efforts in winning promotion from the Fourth Division to the First Division.
Toshack holds the La Liga trophy he won as Real Madrid manager
His departure from Swansea was followed by one of the most varied managerial careers in English football. Throughout his tenure as manager, he managed some of Europe’s top 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 also served as Wales manager twice. He worked briefly part-time in 1994 and again part-time between 2004 and 2010, during which time he helped develop players such as Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen.
The 77-year-old has faced health issues in recent years, having been rushed to hospital and placed in intensive care in 2022 to battle pneumonia caused by complications from the coronavirus.
Last year, he was honored in a rare public appearance when his former club Real Sociedad awarded him the diamond and gold badge, the highest honor 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 and then-Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso, who played under Toshack at Sociedad, paid his respects.
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