Jimmy Rimmer, who died on Friday at the age of 78, proved that leaving Manchester United can lead to even greater success. After departing Old Trafford in 1974, he won a league title, a European Cup and an England cap with Aston Villa.
A Career Beyond Old Trafford
Rimmer swapped the company of George Best and his team-mates for trophies at Villa Park. He was part of the United squad that beat Benfica at Wembley in 1968, becoming the first English club to conquer Europe a decade after the Munich Air Disaster.
However, he is best remembered for his role in Villa's triumph over Bayern Munich in 1982. He played every game of Villa's run to the final, but got injured in the opening minutes and had to go off. Nigel Spink replaced him and has been part of Villa folklore ever since.
Reflecting on a Difficult Night
In one of his final interviews, Rimmer spoke with class about that night. He said: "I thought it was going to be my finest hour. But it's a team game - not Jimmy Rimmer's game. I could have stayed on. But we'd worked hard to get there and we wanted to win. I cried in the dressing room."
His contribution to that success was huge, as was the respect for his selflessness and humble attitude. The Birmingham Mail later described him as "perhaps the greatest goalkeeper in Aston Villa's history".
A Lasting Legacy
Rimmer made 229 league appearances for Villa and also had spells with Arsenal and Swansea. At Arsenal, he replaced Bob Wilson and won the club's Player of the Year award in 1975. At Swansea, he became a coach and caretaker manager, before training the China national team.
He was one of the great keepers of his generation, and his legacy includes being an example to future footballers of how to conduct themselves on and off the pitch. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.
