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Ron Yeats, the iconic former Liverpool captain whom Bill Shankly famously called a “colossus,” has passed away at the age of 86. The former Scotland defender played a crucial role in Liverpool’s rise to dominance, winning two top-flight titles, an FA Cup, and three Charity Shields during his 454-game career with the club.
Joining Liverpool in 1961 from Dundee United, Yeats quickly became the backbone of Shankly’s revolution at Anfield. Under his leadership, the team won the Second Division title in 1962, cementing their place in the top tier of English football. He captained the club for eight seasons, a record surpassed only by Steven Gerrard.
Yeats’ arrival, along with fellow Scotsman Ian St John, was hailed by Shankly as a “turning point” in Liverpool’s history. His stature and leadership became legendary, notably modeling Liverpool’s first all-red kit in 1964, with Shankly joking, “You look about 8ft tall in that. You’ll scare the living daylights out of them.”
Beyond his playing career, Yeats continued to contribute to Liverpool as a chief scout, famously recommending the signing of Sami Hyypia, who went on to help the club win the Champions League in 2005.
His passing has led to an outpouring of tributes from the football community. Liverpool will honor Yeats by lowering flags at Anfield and the club’s training grounds to half-mast.
