Liverpool and Wales legend John Toshack has dismissed claims he is suffering from dementia after his son Cameron suggested he has been diagnosed with the condition
John Toshack
John Toshack has rubbished claims that he is suffering from dementia
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Former Liverpool star John Toshack has firmly rejected claims that he is living with dementia. Speaking to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, John said: "Dementia? Not yet!"
He added: "I've forgotten all the goals I missed, but I remember perfectly the ones I scored." Toshack's wife, Mai Angulo, had previously revealed she was taken aback by comments made by Toshack's son Cameron about his father's condition while he had 'fallen asleep crying.'
Cameron addressed his father's health in an interview with the Daily Mail, indicating that John has 'good days and bad days' and has been diagnosed with dementia.
"Cameron only knows what he talks about very occasionally on the phone with his father," Angulo told Spanish daily El Diario Vasco. "He hasn't seen him for two years. That's why it really surprised me that he said this."
Currently serving as Buriram United assistant manager in Thailand, Cameron said that his father can still recall entire line‐ups from matches he played in decades ago.
"It's [dementia is] a terrible disease," he told the Daily Mail. "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.
"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.
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"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 prominent figure during his playing career, signing for Liverpool in 1970 in a £100,000 transfer from Cardiff City.
During his spell at Anfield, he secured nine honours, including three First Division championships and a European Cup.
John Toshack spent eight years at Liverpool
John Toshack spent eight years at Liverpool
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He subsequently spent six years at Swansea City as a player-manager before transitioning entirely into coaching. John went on to take charge of some of Europe's most prestigious clubs, including Real Madrid, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Real Sociedad, Deportivo La Coruna, Besiktas and Saint-Etienne.
In Madrid, he claimed the La Liga championship in 1990 before later assuming control of Wales on two separate occasions. Initially, it was on a part-time basis in 1994, and subsequently from 2004 to 2010.
During that second tenure, he helped nurture future stars such as Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen.
In recent years, he has encountered serious health challenges, having been admitted into intensive care in 2022 while battling pneumonia caused by Covid-related complications.