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The lanky striker formed with Kevin Keegan one of the great attack partnerships of Liverpool history, a "double act" that succeeded the bountiful 1960's combination of Roger Hunt and Ian St John.
After becoming, at 16, the youngest player ever to appear in a League game for Cardiff City the Wales international was signed by Bill Shankly for £110,000 in November 1970 and took a while to establish himself as a first team regular.
But after Keegan's arrival the following year the pair dovetailed into a menacing "Little and Large" strike force with 6ft 1in Toshack a perfect foil for his smaller colleague. They scored and created goals for each other with a seemingly telepathic understanding, Toshack's great aerial power a crucial factor as they helped capture domestic and Eurpoean prizes.
Toshack, who also penned poetry, became Swansea player boss in 1978 after scoring 96 Liverpool goals. He led the Welsh club from the Fourth to the old First Division in successive seasons and was awarded an OBE. His managerial talents have taken him around Europe, including a brief spell in charge of Wales and two stints at Real Madrid.
(LFC Official Website)
Fact
File
1966: Signed professional terms with hometown club Cardiff City. Welsh Cup winner in 1968, 1969 and 1970.
1970: Signed by Liverpool.
1979: Became player-coach at Swansea City, moving from Liverpool on a free transfer. Took the Welsh club from the English
fourth division to the first division and completed second hat-trick of Welsh Cup wins, from 1981-83.
1984: Moved to Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon.
1985: Signed as coach of Real Sociedad of Spain. Won the Spanish Cup in 1987 and the following season guided the side to
second place in the league.
1989: Appointed Real Madrid coach. Won league championship in first season in charge as side scored 107 first division goals - a record that still stands.
1990: November 18, sacked as Real Madrid after three successive defeats.
1991: Began second spell at Real Sociedad, originally as an adviser and later as head coach.
1994: January 28, appointed Wales coach on a part-time basis after the sacking of Terry Yorath. Resigned after just one game in charge, a 3-1 defeat by Norway. November 24, sacked as Real Sociedad coach.
1995: March 23, appointed coach of Deportivo Coruna taking over on July 1.
1997: February 9, resigned from Deportivo Coruna.
1997: June 25, appointed coach of Turkish club Besiktas. Finished a disappointing sixth in the league in his first season in
charge.
1999: February 24, in negotiations with Real Madrid directors over becoming new coach following the sacking of Guus
Hiddink.
1999: November, was sacked by Real Madrid having taken over from Dutchman Guus Hiddink in February of that year. It was Toshack's second dismissal as Real coach, after he lost his job for the first time in 1990.
2000: October 6, has been appointed the new boss of French League strugglers St Etienne.
2001: January 2, is to leave St Etienne after just 10 weeks in charge to rejoin Spanish First Division club Real Sociedad.
2002: November 7, takes over as manager
for Serie B side Catania, his first job in Italy.
2003: January 28, quits as manager for
Catania.
2004: January 20,
John Toshack has replaced Joaquin Peiro as coach
of La Liga strugglers Murcia.
It will be his fourth managerial job in the Spanish league
after leading Real Madrid to the title in 1990 and also
coaching Real Sociedad and Deportivo.
2004: November, appointed Wales manager on five-year contract.
Thor Zakariassen © |
