Liverpool and Wales legend John Toshack, 77, has rubbished reports that he is in a "dementia battle" as his wife lashed out at his son Cameron for making the claims
Neil Docking and Gerard Couzens News Correspondent
08:58, 27 Mar 2026Updated 09:12, 27 Mar 2026
John Toshack says he doesn't have dementia, despite claims made by his son Cameron
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John Toshack says he doesn't have dementia, despite claims made by his son Cameron
Liverpool and Wales football icon John Toshack has laughed off his son’s claims that he has been diagnosed with dementia.
The legendary Reds striker turned globetrotting manager, 77, rubbished his son Cameron Toshack's revelations about his supposed "dementia battle". Welcoming a reporter from Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo into the home he shares with his wife and their five dogs in Spain, the former Real Madrid and Real Sociedad manager insisted: “Dementia? Not yet!" And he joked: “I’ve forgotten all the goals I missed but I remember perfectly the ones I scored."
Toshack's wife Mai Angulo said she was astonished by the comments from Thailand-based Cameron, 56, who is the current assistant coach at Thai League 1 club Buriram United. Confessing that Covid had left her husband with severe physical and mental after-effects, she told Spanish daily El Diario Vasco: “Cameron only knows what he talks about very occasionally on the phone with his father.
Liverpool footballer John Toshack during the pre-season photocall at Anfield in Liverpool, England, circa July 1977.
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John Toshack made 247 Liverpool appearances and won three first division titles before becoming an iconic manager(Image: Getty Images)
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"He hasn’t seen him for two years. That’s why it really surprised me that he said this."
El Mundo also published footage of Toshack, who played more than 200 matches with Cardiff City before winning nine trophies during an eight-year career with the Reds, reciting the famous team selection quote he made history with following a calamitous Real Madrid away match against Rayo Vallecano when he was managing the Spanish giants.
Laughing and looking relaxed in a Real Sociedad tracksuit as he sat in the sun, Toshack said: “On Mondays I always think I’ll make ten changes to the team. On Tuesdays, seven or eight. By Thursday, it’s four. Friday two, and by Saturday I’m back to starting the same eleven bastards.”
El Mundo journalist Luis Nunez-Villaveiran, who published the footage on his Instagram, said: “John Toshack’s son said in an interview his father suffered dementia. I’ve been with him and he maintains the spark he became known for in clubs like Real Madrid and Real Sociedad.”
John Toshack and his son Cameron
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John Toshack and his son Cameron
He added: “The former manager takes advantage of a risotto and cheesecake lunch to tease his wife about things he doesn’t remember between glasses of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and then wink at the guests before flashing another smile.”
Cameron, Toshack’s son from an earlier marriage to Susan Bann, claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail earlier this week his dad was battling dementia.
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.
“But if I ask him about the Liverpool days, or Sociedad or Madrid, the detail is amazing.”
An older man wearing a blue polo shirt claps his hands enthusiastically while seated among a crowd of spectators, with two young boys and a woman also clapping behind him. The blurred background shows a dense crowd, possibly at a sporting event.
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John Toshack has suffered health difficulties in recent years(Image: Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Mai, Toshack’s wife of 33 years, reacted by saying: “John is very calm here. We celebrated his 77th birthday on Sunday, and he was very happy.”
Appearing to have another dig at his son as she admitted the former footballer’s Covid-19 2022 battle had been terrible, she told El Diario Vasco: “It is true that Covid left him with very severe after-effects, both physical and mental. Everyone has been able to notice this.
“We cannot forget that we went through some terrible moments, with John sedated in an intensive care unit, not knowing how he would progress.
“He always says that he was out of this world for more than ten days and that when, thank God, he came back, he didn’t understand anything.
Liverpool legend John Toshack in action
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Liverpool legend John Toshack in action
“He didn’t know what was happening to him or where he was. It wasn’t easy. I spent many days anxious because, except for John’s closest friends, no one showed interest, not even his family."
In a poignant message to her husband’s army of loyal fans, Mai said: “In his name, I want to send a hug to everyone.
“The only thing I can say is that I am devoted to John so that he can have the best possible life. He is the love of my life, and I will never leave him.
"Together we came through those terrible days, and together we will always remain in our home.”
Toshack signed for Liverpool in 1970 in a £100,000 transfer from Cardiff City, where he won three First Division titles and the European Cup and formed a legendary partnership with Kevin Keegan.
He subsequently moved to Swansea City as player-manager, guiding the club to three promotions in four seasons, taking them from the Fourth Division to the First Division, with his ex-Liverpool boss Bill Shankly hailing him as the "manager of the century".
Throughout his managerial tenure, he oversaw some of Europe's most prestigious clubs - including Sporting Lisbon, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna, Besiktas and Saint-Etienne. At Madrid, he secured the La Liga crown in 1990.
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He also enjoyed two spells as Wales boss. Initially briefly on a part-time basis in 1994 and subsequently between 2004 and 2010 - helping nurture talents such as Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen during that second period.