John Toschack's son, Cameron, has confirmed that the legendary former Liverpool player and Wales manager, has been diagnosed with dementia
An older man wearing a blue shirt claps his hands while seated in a stadium, surrounded by a crowd of spectators.
Wales football legend John Toshack(Image: Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
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Wales football legend John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia, his son Cameron has revealed.
Cameron, who is presently serving as assistant manager at Buriram United in Thailand, acknowledged his dad has "good days and bad days". He did say that his legendary father can still remember entire line-ups from matches he participated in decades ago, though, in an update on his health.
"It's a terrible disease," Cameron told [the Daily Mail](http://John Toshack). "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. The other day he was telling me about a Real Madrid game against Arrigo Saachi's AC Milan and exactly how he tweaked his midfield to deal with Marco van Basten.
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"The game could have been yesterday, his memory was so clear.
"I'll talk to him about what we're doing in Thailand and he still gives great advice. As a manager, he could always see two or three moves ahead, and it was always in the genes for me, really."
Toshack was a true footballing icon during his playing career - having signed for Liverpool in 1970 in a £100,000 transfer from Cardiff City. At Anfield, he would claim nine trophies - including three First Division titles and a European Cup.
He then transferred to Swansea City as player-manager, guiding the club to three promotions in four seasons. The accomplishment of elevating them from the Fourth Division to the First Division led ex-Liverpool boss Bill Shankly to dub Toshack the "manager of the century".
John Toschack
Toshack with the La Liga trophy he won as manager of Real Madrid
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Post-departure from Swansea, one of British football's most diverse managerial careers ensued. Throughout his managerial tenure, he managed some of Europe's top clubs - including Sporting Lisbon, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna, Besiktas and Saint-Etienne. In Madrid, he clinched the La Liga title in 1990.
He also had two spells as Wales manager. Once briefly on a part-time basis in 1994 and then again between 2004 and 2010 - aiding in the development of players such as Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen during that second term.
The 77 year old has faced health challenges in recent years after being urgently admitted into intensive care in 2022 as he fought pneumonia resulting from Covid complications.
Last year, he was honoured in a rare public appearance, receiving the Diamond and Gold badge - the highest honour the La Liga club can award - from his former club Real Sociedad. The poignant moment occurred before a match against another of his former clubs, Real Madrid.
The Welshman received a standing ovation, with then Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso - who played under Toshack at Sociedad - paying tribute.
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