John Benjamin Toshack (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh former professional football player and manager.

He began his playing career as a teenager with his hometown club Cardiff City, becoming the youngest player to make an appearance for the side when he made his debut in 1965. After establishing himself in the first-team, he went on to make over 200 appearances and scored 100 goals in all competitions after forming a striking partnership with Brian Clark.

In 1970, he joined First Division side Liverpool, where he formed a noted forward partnership with Kevin Keegan and Steve Heighway that helped the club to win two league titles, the European Cup, the UEFA Cup on two occasions, the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. His partnership with Keegan was so effective that the two were described as telepathic. Mounting injuries eventually led to him securing his release from Liverpool to join Swansea City as player-manager in March 1978. He led the club to three promotions in four seasons, elevating them from the Fourth Division to the First Division in a feat that led former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly to describe him as the "manager of the century". During his career, he scored over 150 goals in the Football League in more than 350 appearances and also represented Wales at international level, winning 40 caps and scoring 13 goals.

He resigned from Swansea in 1984 after suffering relegation and embarked on a managerial career abroad, taking charge of Sporting CP in Portugal and later Spanish side Real Sociedad, winning the Copa del Rey in 1987. Two years later, he was appointed manager of Real Madrid and led them to a fifth consecutive La Liga title with a record total of points and goals scored. However, a disappointing start to the following season resulted in his dismissal in November 1990 and he returned to Real Sociedad. In 1994, he was appointed part-time manager of Wales alongside his job at Real Sociedad but resigned from the role after just 47 days having been in charge for one match, citing the strong support for former manager Terry Yorath among fans and a "political war" as reasons. In 1995, he was appointed manager of Deportivo La Coruña during the club's "Super Depor" era, reaching the Cup Winners' Cup semifinals in his first season before departing acrimoniously in February 1997.

After a spell in Turkey with Beşiktaş, he returned to Real Madrid for a second time but was sacked ten months later after refusing to retract criticism he had made of his players in a press conference following a defeat. In 2004, he was appointed as manager of Wales for a second time and remained with the side for six years, presiding over three ultimately unsuccessful qualifying campaigns. He later managed Macedonia and Azerbaijani side Khazar Lankaran before managing outside Europe for the first time in his career with Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca and Tractor of Iran.

Early life

John Toshack was born on 22 March 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, and grew up on Northumberland Street in the Canton area of the city. His father George was from Dunfermline in Scotland and worked as a carpenter. He moved to Wales while serving in the RAF, being stationed at MOD St Athan, and met Toshack's mother Joan, whom he later married. As a teenager, Toshack also played rugby and cricket and was regarded as a promising outside-half before a fractured shoulder suffered playing rugby led to him focusing on football. He was later selected to represent the Wales under-15 side. In his early days at the club, he was in charge of cleaning the boots of John Charles. a record which stood for 41 years until it was broken by Aaron Ramsey in 2007. His performance during his debut persuaded manager Jimmy Scoular to promote him to the starting line-up for the following match and Toshack found the net again, scoring a brace during a 4–3 victory over Middlesbrough. He scored his first career hat-trick in January 1968 in an 8–0 win over Ebbw Vale in the Welsh Cup,

Liverpool

The deal was completed on 11 November 1970, Liverpool manager Bill Shankly paying £111,000 for the striker, £100,000 went to Cardiff for the sale of the player while the Football League received £5,500 for the transfer and Toshack himself received the remaining £5,500. He made his debut three days later on 14 November 1970 in a goalless league draw with Coventry City at Anfield. His first goal came a week later on 21 November in a Merseyside derby at Anfield. With the game 0–0 at half-time, Everton scored two early goals just after the start of the second half before Steve Heighway scored from an acute angle for Liverpool. In the 76th minute, Toshack headed a goal from a Heighway cross that turned the game around;

In his first season at Anfield, Toshack scored seven times in all competitions but his noted aerial ability proved to be a key asset in Liverpool's style of play as it helped the side reach the 1971 FA Cup Final, losing 2–1 to Arsenal. The following year, Kevin Keegan joined Liverpool from Scunthorpe United and the pair struck up a successful partnership, which was often referred to as being telepathic, with Toshack winning balls in the air and Keegan finishing the knock downs. Don Revie's Leeds United visited Anfield on Easter Monday for a match involving two of the three 1972–73 Football League title challengers. Two minutes after the break Peter Cormack put Liverpool ahead before Keegan added a late second to seal the win. With Arsenal only drawing in their match against Southampton, Liverpool duly closed out the title with a final game 0–0 draw against Leicester City to claim their first major trophy since 1966. Toshack also helped the side to win the 1972–73 UEFA Cup against German team Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 1973 UEFA Cup Final first leg at Anfield was abandoned due to a torrential downpour after 27 minutes and rescheduled to be played again the next day. Keegan profited with two goals set up by Toshack headers in a 3–0 win. Liverpool lost 2–0 away in the second leg but won the tie 3–2 on aggregate.

Toshack also played in the 1974 FA Cup Final when Liverpool defeated Newcastle United 3–0, having scored winning goals in the quarter and semi-final matches against Bristol City and Leicester City. However, the deal later collapsed after he failed a medical and, at the age of 25, Toshack was told by specialist doctors that he only had around twelve months left to play due to mounting injuries. He was able to force his way back into the first-team soon after,

International career

Toshack played for Wales at schoolboy and under-23 level before making his senior debut on 26 March 1969 in a 1–1 draw with West Germany. He scored his first senior goal in his following match, a 2–1 defeat to East Germany a month later. He was part of the Welsh side that topped their qualifying group for UEFA Euro 1976, scoring three times during qualifying, before losing a two-legged play-off match against Yugoslavia.

He went on to earn 40 caps and scored 13 goals, including a hat trick against Scotland in the 1979 British Home Championship.

Managerial career

Swansea City

Having secured his release from his contract at Liverpool, Toshack looked to move into management and approached his former club Cardiff City over a coaching position but was rejected by manager Jimmy Andrews who questioned his qualifications for the role. Toshack instead received a phone call from Swansea City chairman Malcolm Struel and was invited to a meeting at the club. Following this, he was appointed player-manager of Fourth Division club Swansea on 1 March 1978, becoming the youngest manager in the Football League at the age of 29. Succeeding Harry Griffiths who stepped down to become his assistant,

He overhauled numerous aspects of the club's day-to-day routine including changing players' diets, moderating their alcohol intake and revising travel arrangements for away matches.

After finishing mid-table in their first season in the Second Division, Swansea claimed a third promotion in four seasons in 1981 after beating Preston North End 3–1 on 2 May 1981 and won the Welsh Cup for the first time in fifteen years soon after by defeating Hereford United. After achieving promotion, Toshack's former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly heaped praise on his achievements, stating "he's done a remarkable job, I would say he's possibly manager of the century." In recognition of his achievements at the club, Toshack was awarded an MBE midway through the season. He instead moved to Spain, taking a position as manager of Real Sociedad where he led the side to victory in the 1986–87 Copa del Rey and were the league runners-up in 1988.

Although their following season was disappointing, finishing the La Liga season in eleventh position, Toshack was appointed manager of Real Madrid in 1989. Nevertheless, Toshack strengthened defensively by adding Oscar Ruggeri and Fernando Hierro to the club's ranks, but endured a difficult start after losing to rivals Barcelona and being eliminated from the European Cup in the second round; he was also under pressure from local press, despite leading the La Liga table after ten matches. However, the side soon discovered their form and they eventually claimed the league title after scoring a record 107 league goals during the season, becoming only the second team to score 100 or more goals during a single season at the time. initially in an advisory role, before taking charge soon after.

In Spain, Toshack became known as "John Benjamin"–nicknamed "JB"–as there was a common misunderstanding that his middle name was a Spanish-style paternal surname. He was noted for a habit of literally translating English-language idioms into Spanish during his press conferences, to the confusion of Spanish journalists.

Wales national football team

In 1994, Toshack was appointed as manager of the Wales national team on a part-time basis, taking the job alongside his position in charge of Real Sociedad, after approaches for Terry Venables and Bobby Robson were rejected. Although the ten scheduled competitive matches the team were due to play coincided with a break in Spanish league fixtures, he stated his intention that Real Sociedad would remain his first priority if any other international matches should clash with domestic ones. He was appointed to succeed Terry Yorath, who had narrowly missed out on qualification to the 1994 FIFA World Cup and had expressed his desire to remain in the role but was not offered a new contract by the Football Association of Wales (FAW). Toshack had already come under scrutiny over his commitment to the role after arriving in Wales only two nights before the match and taking a single training session with the team beforehand. With support for Yorath still strong among Welsh fans over his dismissal by the FAW, a disappointing performance against Norway saw the team jeered off at both half and full-time and Toshack resigned from the role after just 47 days in charge. He later claimed that there was a political "war" surrounding the team following Yorath's acrimonious departure and he decided to "wash his hands" of the situation.

Besiktas and return to Real Madrid

After leaving Real Sociedad, he spent two years in charge of Deportivo de La Coruña, resigning after the board signed two players without his knowledge, before moving to Turkey to join Beşiktaş on the recommendation of Bobby Robson, Toshack claimed that his words were meant as a motivational tactic and refused club president Lorenzo Sanz's request that he withdraw his comments, saying "there's more chance of a pig flying over the Bernabeu". Toshack would later take Madrid to court over his dismissal and was awarded over £700,000 in compensation.

He later spent a short period with French side Saint-Étienne in 2000, leaving the club for third spell in charge of Real Sociedad. Despite pulling Saint-Étienne out of the relegation zone, the club's fortunes rapidly declined after his departure, becoming entangled in a forgery scandal which docked the club seven points to confirm its relegation at the end of the 2000–01 season. At Real Sociedad, Toshack reversed the club's declining fortunes and pulled it out of the relegation zone to finish in 13th place in his first season after having awarded the captaincy to 20–year old Xabi Alonso, who became the club's star player under Toshack. After amassing 27 points in 29 games the following season, he was sacked in March 2002.

He then had short spells with Italian team Catania from November 2002 to January 2003, in a calamitous season for the club in which it got relegated from the Serie B in a scandal known as "Caso Catania" before the decision was reversed in August 2003; this preceded another return to Spain with last–placed La Liga side Real Murcia in January 2004, failing to save the club from relegation.

Wales (second spell)

In November 2004, Toshack was appointed as manager of the Wales national team for the second time after being named as the "unanimous" choice of the FAW. He was named in a three-man shortlist for the role alongside Frenchman Philippe Troussier and former Welsh international Dean Saunders. Toshack's appointment was unpopular with some senior players with Robbie Savage claiming he could face a player mutiny if appointed. In total, seven players announced their international retirement within months of Toshack's appointment, captain Gary Speed, who had been critical of Toshack's opinions previously, Mark Pembridge and Andy Melville. Former Wales manager Mark Hughes also questioned Toshack's suitability for the role, stating that UEFA coaching qualifications which Toshack did not possess should be considered a prerequisite for the job.

One of his first acts as manager was to place Brian Flynn in charge of Wales' various youth levels, replacing Ian Rush and Neville Southall, and the pair set about rebuilding an ageing squad and uncovering players with the eligibility to play for Wales, such as Ashley Williams. His first match in charge was a friendly against Hungary on 9 February 2005 which ended in a 2–0 win for Wales, both goals being scored by Craig Bellamy. His first competitive match in charge came one month later when they suffered a 2–0 defeat to Austria, where Toshack was blamed for making a late substitution with the match at 0–0 that allowed Austria into contention and conceded two late goals. A second defeat to Austria four days later ended Wales' slim remaining hopes of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. With the noted retirements and regular withdrawals, Toshack was forced to use a relatively youthful side for a difficult qualifying campaign in which Wales finished fifth out of seven teams and failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008. A defeat to Poland in February 2009 caused anger among supporters as captain Craig Bellamy clashed verbally with fans and a further defeat to Finland a month later saw the side jeered off the pitch at full-time. He left the job by mutual consent on 9 September 2010, although he had stated his desire to remain in the job for the two following qualifying matches. During his six-year tenure with Wales, a total of 18 players retired from international duty but he also handed debuts to numerous players, including many of the side that would go on to reach the semi-final of UEFA Euro 2016.

Macedonian national team

thumb|right|175px|Toshack, as Macedonia manager, at a press conference in 2011

Eleven months after resigning from his role with Wales, Toshack was appointed manager of the Macedonia national football team on 7 August 2011. However, Macedonia won one of his eight matches in charge and his contract with the national side was terminated on 13 August 2012 after he refused the request of Football Federation of Macedonia president Ilčo Gjorgioski to relocate to the country.

Khazar Lankaran

On 8 March 2013, it was announced that Toshack would take over as manager of Khazar Lankaran of the Azerbaijan Premier League on 15 March 2013. At the time of his appointment, Khazar Lankaran were eighth in the league and competing in the relegation group for the final 10 games of the season. Toshack's first game in charge of Khazar Lankaran was a one all home draw against AZAL. Toshack's first win came in his second game in charge, a 1–2 away victory against bottom of the table Kəpəz. Khazar Lankaran ended the season in eighth position, with a league record under Toshack of three games out of nine won, with an equal number of three matches drawn or lost. Toshack also guided Khazar Lankaran to the final of the 2012–13 Azerbaijan Cup with a 2–1 aggregate victory over Baku in the semi-finals, resulting in a game against Premier League champions Neftchi Baku which Khazar lost 5–3 on penalties. As a result of Neftchi Baku winning both the Premier League and Cup, Khazar qualified for the UEFA Europa League. Toshack won his first trophy with Khazar Lankaran on 23 October 2013, defeating Neftchi Baku in the 2013 Azerbaijan Supercup. On 22 November 2013, Toshack resigned as manager of Khazar Lankaran, following 14 points in the first 14 games of the season, leaving Khazar in eighth place in the league.

Wydad Casablanca

On 20 June 2014, Toshack was appointed as manager of Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca. He led the club to a league title in his first season in charge and a second-place finish the following year, but on 16 September 2016, after suffering a heavy defeat to Zamalek in the first leg of the 2016 CAF Champions League semi-finals, Toshack and Wydad Casablanca parted ways.

Tractor

In June 2018, he was appointed manager of Iranian side Tractor until 2021. He left the club in September 2018.

Personal life

On 7 June 1969, Toshack married Susan Bann from Grangetown, Cardiff, at the age of 20 at St John Church in Canton. After 43 years of marriage, the pair divorced in 2012 with his wife citing "unreasonable behaviour".

In 1981, Toshack won the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year and received the MBE for his services to football in the 1982 New Year Honours list. He was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life in 1982 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Roehampton Club in London.

On 27 February 2022, Toshack was reported to be seriously ill in a Spanish hospital, suffering from COVID-19.

Career statistics

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

|-

!rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|FA Cup

!colspan="2"|League Cup

!colspan="2"|Europe

!colspan="2"|Other

!colspan="2"|Total

|-

!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

|-

|rowspan="7"|Cardiff City

|1965–66

  • FA Charity Shield: 1976
  • European Cup: 1976–77
  • UEFA Cup: 1972–73, 1975–76
  • UEFA Super Cup: 1977

Player-manager

Swansea City

  • Football League Fourth Division third-place promotion: 1977–78
  • Football League Third Division third-place promotion: 1978–79
  • Football League Second Division third-place promotion: 1980–81
  • Welsh Cup: 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83

Manager

Real Sociedad

  • Supercopa de España: 1995

Beşiktaş

Khazar Lankaran

References

  • Profile at the Liverpool F.C. website