Tommy Smith, Liverpool legend dies at 74 after losing battle against dementia
- Tommy Smith, Liverpool legend reported dead after losing battle to dementia
- The former midfielder died at the age of 74 having being diagnosed with the illness in 2004
- Smith's wife also died of similar disease and tributes have started trooping in for the late footballer
Liverpool legend Tommy Smith has been reported dead after losing battle to dementia on Friday, April 12.
The 74-year-old former midfielder spent spent close to two decades representing the Reds and made 638 appearances for the Anfield side.
Smith joined the Merseyside club as a youth player in 1960, and just two years after shining at the academy level, he was promoted into the main team.
He then became a key member of Liverpool squad - featuring constantly under Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.
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During his 18 year reign at Anfield, Smith won a number of silverware including four league titles, two FA Cups and the 1977 European Cup, scoring in the final against Borussia Monchengladbach.
He hanged his boots in 1979 after featuring just one season for Swansea City and then worked as a columnist for the Liverpool Echo for 35 years.
The former footballer was however first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014, the same illness his wife suffered from before she passed away four years ago as reported by SunSport.
His daughter Janette Simpson told the Liverpool Echo: “Dad died very peacefully in his sleep shortly after 4.30pm today at Green Heyes Nursing home in Park Road, Waterloo, Crosby.
“I was on my way to see him when he passed a couple of minutes before I arrived.
“Dad was only in here since the end of January and prior to that had been living in a care and sheltered accommodation complex for three years in Maghull.
“He had been growing increasingly frail and suffering from a variety of ailments over the last three months especially.
“We are obviously all devastated. Our mum Sue died four years ago. Mum’s death did hit dad especially hard and the illness took a bit of a grip of him after that we feel.”
Tributes have come flooding in across Twitter, with many mourning the loss of a true Liverpool legend.
One wrote: "Legend a word over used in today’s world. But Tommy Smith, now that is a legend.”
Another said: "My grandad spoke about Tommy Smith in such glowing terms when he was alive, a clear hero to a number of generations. Rest in Peace.”
Liverpool hero Jamie Carragher said: "An amazing man and player, the ‘Anfield iron’ as he was christened by Bill Shankly.
"The word legend is used a lot, certainly at Liverpool Football Club. When you think of that word legend, it’s Tommy Smith.
"The reason being, with people like him, who brought the first ever FA Cup back to Liverpool, the first European Cup in Rome, he scored in that game.
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"They’re the proper legends, there’s been a lot of great players at Liverpool, in the history of the club, but you go back to that word legend and no matter what comes after, what has come before, there will never be another Tommy Smith."
Broadcaster Jim White added: “Sad news tonight as Liverpool great Tommy Smith has died aged 74. String of honours in an incredible 638 appearances for club over 18 year period.”
Legit.ng earlier reported that Premier League leaders Liverpool have been hit with a severe blow following the death of their legend Peter Thompson who died at the age of 76.
But the rationale that caused his death was not reported according to the report by UK Mirror.
Peter Thompson made 416 appearances for Liverpool to sit 24th on the club's all-time appearances list scoring 54 goals.
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