Liverpool and Wales legend John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia, his son Cameron has revealed. The 77-year-old former striker and manager is experiencing short-term memory loss, though his long-term recall remains sharp.
Cameron Toshack, a football coach in Thailand and former Leeds assistant, told the Daily Mail: 'It's a terrible disease. It's the short-term memory where we're seeing it – I speak to him most days and if we chat in the afternoon, he might not remember that we also spoke in the morning. But if I ask him about the Liverpool days, or Sociedad or Madrid, the detail is amazing.'
Toshack scored 96 goals for Liverpool between 1970 and 1978, winning three league titles, two UEFA Cups, an FA Cup and a European Cup. He earned 40 caps for Wales and later managed Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, and the Welsh national team.
In management, he led Swansea from the fourth division to the top tier, won La Liga with Real Madrid in 1990, and gave debuts to Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale during his second spell as Wales manager. He also coached clubs in Portugal, France, Turkey, Morocco, Azerbaijan and Macedonia.
Cameron added that his father still offers great advice on football tactics, recalling a detailed memory of a Real Madrid match against Arrigo Sacchi's Milan. 'He could always see two or three moves ahead,' he said.
