The iconic former Liverpool captain who played a crucial role in rebuilding the club under Bill Shankly during the 1960s, Ron Yeats, has passed away at the age of 86.
Liverpool FC confirmed his death on Friday evening. Yeats had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in his later years.
A statement from the club on X expressed, “We are mourning the passing of our legendary former captain Ron Yeats. The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Ron’s family and friends.”
Yeats’ journey with Liverpool began in 1961 when he joined from Dundee United for around £20,000.
Shankly immediately handed him the captain’s armband, recognizing him as a “colossus” on the field. Yeats played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s resurgence, helping them win the Second Division title in 1962, followed by two Football League titles, an FA Cup, and three Charity Shields.
In reflection on his early days under Shankly, Yeats recalled the confidence the legendary manager instilled in him, “Shankly made me feel like a million dollars… Bill just turned round and said, ‘Ron, I want you to captain the side. You will be my eyes, my ears and my voice on that pitch,’ I thought to myself: ‘Bloody hell’. I did that for him, captain Liverpool, for 10 years. It was the best 10 years of my career and my life.”
One of the most memorable moments in Yeats’ career came after Liverpool’s 1965 FA Cup triumph against Leeds United, when he famously told Queen Elizabeth II at the trophy presentation that he was “knackered” after the hard-fought 2-1 win in extra time.
Yeats also led Liverpool to their 1963/64 Division One title, and a famous image shows him parading a paper-mache model of the Championship trophy after a victory over Arsenal at Anfield in April 1964.
During his time with Liverpool, Yeats earned two caps for Scotland and played 454 matches for the Reds, over 400 of them as captain—a figure surpassed only by Steven Gerrard.
After leaving Liverpool in 1971, Yeats took on the role of player-manager at Tranmere Rovers, guiding the team to a notable victory over Arsenal at Highbury in the 1973 League Cup.
His playing career later saw a brief stint in the United States before his eventual retirement.
In 1986, Yeats returned to Anfield, where he served as the club’s chief scout until 2006.
He considered signing Sami Hyypia, another towering center-back, one of his proudest achievements during that time. In 2009, Yeats was honoured as an “honourary Scouser” by Liverpool’s lord mayor.
Nicknamed “Rowdy” by the Kop, Yeats helped Liverpool rise from the Second Division to claim Division One and FA Cup titles, forming a renowned defensive partnership with Tommy Smith.
“I was 6ft 2.5 inches and 14.5 stone so when I tackled someone he must have felt it,” Yeats once said of his combative style. “I always knew if there was going to be a battle I would win the battle. I wouldn’t come second to nobody.”
Phil Thompson, who joined Liverpool during the 1970-71 season just as Yeats was departing, paid tribute to the former captain on X, stating, “So sad to hear of the passing of Big Ron Yeats. One of my heroes as a kid and had the pleasure to become his friend. Doesn’t get much better. RIP Big Man.”
Yeats was fondly remembered by another Liverpool great, Jamie Carragher, who described him as “a giant of a man and a giant of a player.” Carragher noted Yeats’ critical role in shaping the club’s success: “Everything at Liverpool starts with people like Big Ron.”
Tranmere chairman Mark Palios, who began his professional career under Yeats, also paid tribute, recalling how Yeats was instrumental in his own development and that of others like Ronnie Moore and Steve Coppell. He called Yeats “a true colossus,” echoing the praise Bill Shankly had bestowed on him years earlier.
Alzheimer’s disease had taken hold of Yeats in his later years, a condition he attributed in part to the demands of the game during his era.
Reflecting on the harsh conditions, Yeats once commented, “The football itself was incredibly heavy, especially when it was wet… Most of the times you headed it you’d just think: ‘Jesus Christ! It’s almost impossible to imagine’.”
The passing of Ron Yeats marks the loss of a legend who not only defined an era of football at Liverpool but left an indelible mark on the game as a whole.
