Ron Yeats, the former Liverpool captain who helped to rebuild the club’s fortunes under Bill Shankly in the 1960s, has died at the age of 86.
Liverpool confirmed that Yeats, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, died on Friday evening. “We are mourning the passing of our legendary former captain Ron Yeats,” a club statement on X read. “The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Ron’s family and friends.”
Yeats joined Liverpool from Dundee United in 1961 for about £20,000, and was immediately made captain by Shankly. The defender would become his manager’s “colossus”, helping the club win the Second Division title in 1962, then winning two Football League titles, their first FA Cup in 1965 and three Charity Shields.
Yeats played 454 games before joining Tranmere in 1971, with more than 400 of those appearances as captain – a tally bettered only by Steven Gerrard. He returned to Anfield in 1986 as the club’s chief scout, a role he remained in until 2006. In 2009, Yeats was named an “honorary Scouser” by the lord mayor of Liverpool.