Welsh football legend John Toshack has dismissed suggestions that he is suffering from dementia, following comments made by his son Cameron. In an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the 75-year-old former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker said: 'Dementia? Not yet! I've forgotten all the goals I missed, but I remember perfectly the ones I scored.'
Toshack's wife, Mai Angulo, expressed her surprise at Cameron's remarks, telling Spanish daily El Diario Vasco that she was 'astonished.' She revealed that Toshack was deeply upset by his son's comments, saying: 'He fell asleep at two in the morning crying.' Angulo also questioned Cameron's knowledge of his father's condition, noting: 'Cameron only knows what he talks about very occasionally on the phone with his father. He hasn't seen him for two years. That's why it really surprised me that he said this.'
Cameron, currently assistant manager at Thai club Buriram United, had told the Daily Mail that his father had been diagnosed with dementia, describing 'good days and bad days.' He said: '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.' However, he added that Toshack's long-term memory remains sharp, recalling entire line-ups from decades-old matches.
John Toshack enjoyed a stellar playing career, joining Liverpool from Cardiff City in 1970 for £100,000 and winning nine trophies, including three First Division titles and a European Cup. He later managed several top European clubs, including Real Madrid, where he won La Liga in 1990, and led Wales from 2004 to 2010, helping develop talents like Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey. In 2022, he was hospitalised with pneumonia due to Covid complications.
