Celtic great Jim Craig, a key member of the club's 1967 European Cup-winning 'Lisbon Lions' team, has publicly disclosed that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2022. The 83-year-old, one of only three surviving players from that historic squad, shared the news with The Herald.
Craig described his initial reaction to the diagnosis: "I was pleased that they diagnosed something wrong, because I thought I was just ageing. But I was a bit surprised to hear what it was, and I find it very frustrating." He noted that his memory for recent events is most affected, while older memories remain intact.
Despite links between football and brain conditions, Craig is uncertain about the cause. "I heard about that in other people and thought, 'No, I'm not sure that's to do with playing football'," he said. "I always tried to head the ball as little as humanly possible... but we played with those heavy leather balls in those days."
His wife Elisabeth added: "I think a lot of people know now and have been very understanding and very caring. It's something that we manage and we navigate our way around."
