John Toshack

John Toshack

Coaching Macedonia in 2011
Personal information
Full name	John Benjamin Toshack
Date of birth	22 March 1949 (1949-03-22)
Place of birth	Cardiff, Wales
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1965–1970	Cardiff City	162	(74)
1970–1978	Liverpool	246	(96)
1978–1984	Swansea City	63	(25)
Total		471	(195)
National team
1968–1969	Wales Under-23	4	(0)
1969–1980	Wales	40	(13)
Teams managed
1978–1983	Swansea City
1983–1984	Swansea City
1984–1985	Sporting C.P.
1985–1989	Real Sociedad
1989–1990	Real Madrid C.F.
1991–1994	Real Sociedad
1994	Wales
1995–1997	Deportivo
1997–1999	Beşiktaş J.K.
1999	Real Madrid C.F.
2000–2001	Saint-Étienne
2001–2002	Real Sociedad
2002–2003	Catania
2004	Real Murcia
2004–2010	Wales
2011–	Macedonia
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

John Benjamin Toshack OBE (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.

As a player, he is remembered for being part of the Liverpool side of the 1970s, where he formed a forward partnership with Kevin Keegan.

Background

Toshack was born in 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, to a Scottish father and Welsh mother.

Playing career

Cardiff City

Toshack started his footballing career with Cardiff City, signing for them as a 16 year old. He became the youngest ever player to play in a league match for the club when he came off the bench to make a goalscoring debut during a 3–1 win over Leyton Orient on 13 November 1965 at the age of 16 years and 236 days old, a record which stood for 41 years until it was broken by Aaron Ramsey in 2007. Establishing himself in the side over the next few years, scoring his first hat-trick in January 1968 in an 8–0 win over Ebbw Vale in the Welsh Cup, he went on to form one of the most lethal strike partnerships in the club's history alongside Brian Clark.

Liverpool

After four years at Cardiff City, Toshack was signed by Bill Shankly for Liverpool on 11 November 1970. Already a full international, Shankly paid £110,000 for the striker. Toshack made his debut 3 days later on the 14th in the goalless league draw with Coventry City at Anfield. His first goal came a week later on the 21st in a remarkable Merseyside derby at Anfield. With the game 0–0 at half-time Everton thundered into a 2–0 lead just after the start of the second half. 69 minutes in Steve Heighway pulled a goal back, this seemed to spring the Reds into life, Toshack's goal in the 76th minute completely turned the game around, then when Chris Lawler prodded home the 84th minute winner the fans almost lifted the roof off the Kop. Toshack's goal instantly made him a hit amongst the Anfield faithful, which was a good thing as they had initially voiced their concerns in paying so much for the Welshman.

In 1971, Kevin Keegan joined Liverpool from Scunthorpe United. Toshack and Keegan struck up an almost telepathic partnership with Toshack winning everything in the air and Keegan finishing the knock downs. They were a delight for commentators as their names rolled off the tongue easily, one famous piece of commentary by David Coleman went "Toshack, Keegan, one nil!" Such was their fame, the football magazine Shoot likened them to the comic book crimebusters Batman and Robin even taking a photograph of the pair dressed in the Dynamic Duo's costumes. By the time Keegan left for German side Hamburg SV he had scored exactly 100 goals with a large percentage of them being set up by Toshack.

During his time with Liverpool Toshack scored 96 goals; he was part of the team that won the First Division in 1973, 1976 and 1977, the FA Cup in 1974, and the UEFA Cup in 1973 and 1976.

Toshack is still held in high regard by the supporters of Liverpool and was voted in at No.34 on the Liverpool FC website poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, in which thousands of fans worldwide voted for their top 100 Liverpool players.

International career

Toshack played for Wales at schoolboy, under-23 and full international level earning 40 caps and scoring 13 goals, including a hat trick against Scotland in the 1979 British Home Championship.

Management career

Swansea City

Toshack's playing career was blighted by injuries and he was transferred to Swansea City as player-manager in 1978 (he already passed his coaching badge at the age of 18), where he succeeded Harry Griffiths.

He was an immediate success at the Vetch Field, taking them from the Fourth Division all the way to the First Division in four seasons. Once they reached the top flight, the Swans were predicted by many to go straight back down, but they kicked off with a surprise 5–1 victory over Leeds United and topped the league at several stages of the season before finishing sixth. However, they were relegated the following year and then suffered a second successive relegation.

European management

In 1984, Toshack was appointed manager of the Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon, but he only lasted one season in the post. His greatest success as a manager so far came in Spain, where he managed Real Madrid twice, Real Sociedad three times, Deportivo La Coruna and Real Murcia. He has also managed the Turkish side Beşiktaş J.K., French side AS Saint-Étienne and Italian side Catania.

Following the sudden resignation of Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool manager in February 1991, media reports strongly linked Toshack with a return to Anfield as manager, but he ruled himself out of the running and the job went to Graeme Souness instead.

Welsh national team

Toshack was appointed manager of Wales for the first time in 1994, but only spent 41 days in the post, resigning after a 3–1 defeat to Norway. Despite this, he was appointed to the post for a second time in November 2004. It was announced on 5 September 2010 that he offered his resignation from the Wales job following a 1–0 away defeat to Montenegro in Euro 2012 qualifying. He left the job by mutual consent on 9 September 2010.

Macedonian national team

Toshack was appointed manager of the Macedonia national football team on 7 August 2011.

Personal life

Toshack's son Cameron, is also a former professional footballer, making a handful of appearances for Cardiff City.

Awards

Toshack won the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year in 1981.

It was around this time that Toshack received the OBE for his services to football.

Honours

As a player

• Welsh Cup: 1967, 1968, 1969
• Division 1 (Level 1): 1973, 1976, 1977
• UEFA Cup: 1973, 1976
• FA Cup: 1974; Runner-up: 1971
• Charity Shield: 1976; Runner-up: 1971
• European Super Cup: 1977
• European Cup 1977

As player-manager

• Division 4 (Level 4): Third place (promoted) 1978
• Division 3 (Level 3): Third place (promoted) 1979
• Division 2 (Level 2): Third place (promoted) 1981
• Welsh Cup: 1981, 1982, 1983

As a manager

• Copa del Rey: 1987; Runner-up: 1988, 1990
• La Liga: 1990; Runner-up: 1988, 1999
• Supercopa de España: 1995
• Turkish Cup: 1998; Runner-up: 1999

Individual honours

• Don Balón Award Coach of the year in La Liga : 1989 and 1990

External links

• Player profile LFChistory.net
• From Real Madrid to Macedonia ESPN Soccernet

Awards
Preceded by Duncan Evans	BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year 1981	Succeeded by Steve Barry