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John ToshakFootball player
Date of Birth: 22.03.1949
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
John Toshack - Welsh Footballer and Coach
John Toshack, born on March 22, 1949, in Cardiff, is a popular Welsh footballer and later became a well-known coach. He was a prominent and fearless center forward. Toshack started his career in 1966, playing for Cardiff City in Wales. During his time with the club, he won the Welsh Cup three times and scored 75 goals in 159 appearances.
Successful Years at Liverpool
In the 1970/71 season, Toshack was signed by the legendary Bill Shankly, who was managing Liverpool at the time. He was brought in to replace Roger Hunt and quickly formed a formidable strike partnership with Kevin Keegan. Toshack's strength and skill in front of goal made him a feared opponent for defenders. During his eight seasons at Liverpool, he became a three-time league champion, won the FA Cup, and lifted the UEFA Cup twice (in 1973 and 1976) and the European Super Cup in 1977. Toshack played 236 matches for Liverpool, scoring 96 goals. However, he was unable to add the European Cup to his collection of trophies. In the victorious final of 1977, he did not participate due to a recent injury. Despite his strong desire to play, Bob Paisley, the manager, decided not to risk his fitness.
Coaching Career
In the 1977/78 season, Toshack mainly served as a substitute and eventually left Liverpool. He then began his coaching career at Swansea City, a Welsh club. Within a short period, he led the team from the fourth to the first division in English football. He also guided Swansea to three consecutive victories in the Welsh Cup. It was during this time that Toshack's exceptional coaching abilities, earning him the nickname "The Iron Welshman," became evident.
Toshack represented the Welsh national team in 40 matches and scored 13 goals between 1968 and 1980. He also captained the team on several occasions. As a coach, Toshack worked at Sporting Lisbon in Portugal (1984), Real Sociedad in Spain (1985-1989, 1991-1994, winning the Copa del Rey in 1987), Real Madrid (1989-1990, winning the Spanish league), Deportivo La Coruña (1995-1997), and Besiktas (1997-1999, winning the Turkish Cup).
In 1999, Toshack returned to Real Madrid and proclaimed, "The second era of John Toshack at Real Madrid begins." He became the eighth coach under President Lorenzo Sanz.
