Liverpool great Smith dies aged 74

LONDON: Liverpool legend Tommy Smith, one of the key figures in the club’s first golden era, died on Friday at the age of 74.

Smith’s no-nonsense performances at the heart of Liverpool’s defence saw him nicknamed the ‘Anfield Iron’ during his 18-year spell on Merseyside.

Making 638 appearances for the Reds between 1960 and 1978, Smith won a host of medals as the club rose to prominence both domestically and in Europe.

Under the management of the great Bill Shankly, Smith helped Liverpool dominate for two decades.

Reflecting his tough style of play, Shankly once said of one of his favourite players: "Tommy Smith wasn’t born, he was quarried".

Smith, who captained the club for three years, was one of the most influential members of the Liverpool team that won the FA Cup for the first time in 1965.

Twelve years later, with Bob Paisley at the helm, he would head a crucial goal as Liverpool won their maiden European Cup by defeating Borussia Moenchengladbach in the 1977 final in Rome.

In total, Liverpool-born Smith, who grew up in the shadow of Anfield before joining the club he supported as a boy, won the English title four times, the FA Cup twice, the European Cup once and the UEFA Cup twice.