Greavsie leads tributes to old TV show partner Ian St John
JIMMY Greaves led the tributes to great friend Ian St John after the former Liverpool and Scotland striker’s death at the age of 82 following a long illness.
St John, pictured, made more than 400 appearances for Liverpool, helping them claim two league titles while he scored the winning goal in the 1965 FA Cup final as the Reds got their hands on the famous trophy for the first time.
He won a new generation of fans after his playing retirement, presenting the popular Saturday afternoon football show Saint and Greavsie alongside former Tottenham and England forward Greaves.
Greaves paid tribute to his onscreen partner after Liverpool confirmed St John had died on Monday evening.
“We are very sad to hear the Saint has passed away,” a statement on
Greaves’ official Twitter account read. “Ian St John and I had great fun working on the Saint and Greavsie show. He was a lovely man & will be sadly missed by many many people. We must also remember he was a great footballer for Bill Shankly’s Liverpool and beyond.”
Ex-Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard heard the news during his Rangers press conference and said: “That’s a shock and a surprise to me. He’s an iconic figure at Liverpool Football Club.
“He’s someone I’ve met on numerous occasions. A fantastic guy. Really insightful in terms of his career and experience at Liverpool and trying to pass on a lot of knowledge and expertise.
“So I’m really devastated to hear that news, so I’d like to pass on my condolences to all his family and everyone close to the Saint. He’s a legend and an iconic figure at the club and someone I’ve got incredible respect for.”
Former Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher added on Sky Sports: “He’s a Liverpool legend, that term gets used a lot because the club have had so much success in the past. I always think of those players under Bill Shankly, and Ian St John was one of them, who have really started what Liverpool Football Club is today. For me these are the most important players in the club’s history.”
A number of past and present Liverpool players took to Twitter to pay their respects to St John, who made 425 appearances for the Merseysiders and scored 118 goals.
Ex-Reds striker Ian Rush said: “RIP Ian St John sleep well legend!! Thoughts and prayers are with your family at this time.”
ITV said in a statement on its official website: “At ITV we are deeply saddened at the news of Ian’s passing. Ian was a top class presenter for ITV whose long-running Saturday lunchtime football show, Saint and Greavsie, which he hosted with his great friend Jimmy Greaves, was original, funny and a viewing fixture for a whole generation of football fans who will share our fond memories of Ian.”