JOHN TOSHACK

CENTRE-FORWARD CAPS 40 1969-80 GOALS 13

His goal ratio wasn’t as good as that of Trevor Ford, but Tosh was a true icon in his own right. Worldwide, given what he went on to achieve as a manager, perhaps he’s the biggest Welsh football name of the lot. Full stop.

Kicked off his Wales career at a young age in a 1-1 draw with West Germany, before scoring in his second match against East Germany.

A key figure in the only Welsh team to top a qualifying group, Mike Smith’s Class of ‘76, who went on to lose a contentious two-legged quarter-final with Yugoslavia. He scored three goals during that campaign and also netted a memorable hat-trick versus Scotland in the Home Internationals.

Liverpool paid a club record £110,000 to sign Toshack from Cardiff City, again an awful lot at the start of the 1970s, and it was at Anfield that his career really ignited, Tosh forging a little and large partnership with Kevin Keegan as the

Reds conquered at home and abroad. He won three league titles, the FA Cup, European Cup and UEFA Cup twice.

A goal every three games with Liverpool was sandwiched in between playing for Cardiff City and Swansea City. At the start of his career Tosh netted 64 times in 162 Cardiff appearances. At the end of his career he bagged 24 goals in 63 games as playermanager with Swansea.

Toshack kick started his stunning managerial career at The Vetch, taking Swansea from Division Four to top of the old First Division and going on to manage Real Madrid (twice), Sporting Lisbon, Besiktas and Real Sociedad, among others.

As manager of Wales it was Toshack, of course, who put in place the muchneeded youth revolution which has seen the current players go on to achieve such phenomenal feats.

A top manager, but a pretty decent player too, it must be said.

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