Former Liverpool captain Ron Yeats, who famously led the club to their first FA Cup victory and secured two top-flight titles, has passed away at the age of 86, as announced by the Premier League club on Saturday.
The Scottish defender played a key role in Liverpool’s success under manager Bill Shankly, helping them win the Second Division title in 1962, followed by two First Division championships, the 1965 FA Cup, and three Charity Shields.
In recent years, Yeats had been battling Alzheimer’s disease.
“Liverpool FC is mourning the passing of legendary former captain Ron Yeats,” read a club statement. “In the words of Bill Shankly, a ‘colossus’ in club history.
“The thoughts of everyone at LFC are with Ron’s wife, Ann, all of his family and his friends at this incredibly sad time.
“Flags across club sites will be lowered to half-mast today as a mark of respect.”
Yeats was signed from Dundee United in July 1961 by Shankly, who invited journalists to “take a walk around him, he’s a colossus” at the 6ft 2in (1.87 metre) defender’s unveiling.
Yates took over as captain within six months and went on to make 454 appearances over more than a decade at Anfield.
His record 417-match run as Reds skipper was only broken by Steven Gerrard in the last decade.
He left to become Tranmere’s player-manager for three years, followed by a brief spell in the United States before returning to Anfield in 1986 as chief scout for two decades.
Yeats also won two caps for Scotland.