Farewell Ron Yeats: the 'Colossus' that launched Liverpool to super club status

Liverpool FC earlier announced the death of Ron Yeats, following a previous announcement that the former captain was suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Yeats, who passed away aged 86, was the first Liverpool captain to lift the FA Cup and still sits 22^nd in the Reds all-time appearance list.

Perhaps one of Bill Shankly’s most famous signings, Yeats joined Liverpool from Dundee United in 1961 and went on to make 454 appearances for the club.

When Shankly unveiled Yeats as a Liverpool player, he invited members of the press to come and take a close-up look at his new defender, famously saying: “Take a walk around my centre half. He’s a colossus!”

Yeats captained Liverpool more times than anyone else bar Steven Gerrard and and in 1965 became the first Liverpool captain to ever lift the FA Cup.

The centre half was the cornerstone of Shankly’s first great team and helped Liverpool win promotion to the First Division in his very first season in Merseyside.

He would go on to win two First Division titles, an FA Cup and three FA Charity Shields in his time at Liverpool, captaining them to their first top-flight title in almost 20 years in 1964.

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Yeats’ life after Liverpool

After leaving Liverpool in 1971, Yeats signed for Tranmere Rovers where he acted as player manager for three seasons before spells at Staybridge Celtic and Barrow.

In his late 30s Yeats moved to the USA to play for the Los Angeles Skyhawks, helping the team win the championship in his only season there.

The Liverpool legend moved back to Merseyside to play for Formby at the start of the 1977-78 season before finishing his career at Rhyl.

Following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, a donation was made to support the legendary Liverpool captain from the money raised by the annual Forever Reds Christmas lunch in January of this year.

Speaking to the club website at the time, Forever Reds chairman John Aldridge said: “To be able to support him and his family through this difficult time is what being part of the LFC family is all about. I loved to watch Ron play and his contribution to this club will never be forgotten.”

Tributes have come from former Liverpool players online and also from the ‘voice of Anfield’ George Sephton.