Iconic Liverpool captain Ron Yeats dies as Reds pay tribute to Bill Shankly’s ‘colossus’

Legendary Liverpool captain Ron Yeats has died on the age of 86 after struggling with Alzheimer’s.

Yeats captained the Reds greater than 400 instances, a tally solely bettered by Steven Gerrard, and guided the English giants to 3 main trophies.

The ex-Scotland defender lifted two First Division titles and the FA Cup with Liverpool through the sixties after guiding them out of the Second Division.

He additionally performed for Dundee United and Tranmere Rovers throughout a 21-year senior profession.

In a touching tribute, Liverpool wrote on the official membership web site: “Within the phrases of Invoice Shankly, a ‘colossus’ in membership historical past, the Scot died on Friday evening on the age of 86, having sadly suffered with Alzheimer’s in recent times.

“A July 1961 signing from Dundee United, defender Yeats was one of many transformative gamers of Shankly’s fledgling revolution on the Reds, serving to raise the membership out of the doldrums of an prolonged spell caught within the Second Division.

“’Stroll round him,’ the supervisor advised the media when Yeats was unveiled that summer season. ‘He’s a colossus.’ As so typically, Shankly was proper.”

Ex-Liverpool striker John Aldridge was additionally amongst these to pay tribute on social media.

He wrote: “Awoke in the present day to the unhappy information of one among Liverpool soccer golf equipment all-time greats as a participant and a captain Ron Yeats, what a person!!

“I’m honoured to have met him on many events, What Ron and the household I’ve gone by the previous eight years together with his sickness is unbelievably unhappy!!

“All our ideas from the ex-Gamers are together with his household! Good evening God bless Ron RIP.”

Having made 454 Liverpool appearances, the defender left to be Tranmere’s player-manager for 3 years.

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That was adopted by quick spell in America in his late 30s earlier than returning to Anfield in 1986 as chief scout, a task he held for twenty years.

Yeats mentioned his proudest achievement in that point was signing Sami Hyypia, a centre-back and chief very like himself.