2026-03-25 15:05:19
John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia.
The 77-year-old former Wales forward and manager’s condition was revealed by his son Cameron Toshack, who said the disease was affecting his father’s short-term memory while leaving vivid recollections of his football career intact.
Cameron is working as assistant manager at Buriram United, and shared details of his father’s health fight in an interview with the Daily Mail.
He said his dad now experiences “good days and bad days”, noting while recent conversations may fade quickly, memories from decades earlier remain detailed.
Toshack enjoyed a distinguished playing and managerial career across Britain and Europe, including spells with Liverpool, Swansea City and Real Madrid, as well as two periods in charge of Wales.
Cameron 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. 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. As a manager, he could always see two or three moves ahead, and it was always in the genes for me, really.”
Toshack began his playing career with Cardiff City before joining Liverpool in 1970 for £100,000, going on to win nine major trophies at Anfield, including three First Division titles and a European Cup. He later became player-manager at Swansea City, leading the club to three promotions in four seasons and taking them from the Fourth Division to the First Division. He went on to manage clubs including Sporting Lisbon, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna, Besiktas and Saint-Etienne, winning the La Liga title with Real Madrid in 1990.
Toshack also managed Wales in two spells, including a longer tenure between 2004 and 2010, where he oversaw the development of players including Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen.
He has faced health issues in recent years, including a period in intensive care in 2022 with pneumonia linked to Covid complications.
In 2025, he made a rare public appearance to receive the Diamond and Gold badge from Real Sociedad before a match against Real Madrid, where he was given a standing ovation.
Visit Bang Premier (main website)
