'Not yet!' - John Toshack denies son's claim that he has dementia as Liverpool legend speaks out

The Welsh coaching great appeared in high spirits at his residence in Besalu, sporting a Real Sociedad tracksuit to dismiss the narrative surrounding his mental well-being. The "Volcano" of Welsh football was quick to downplay the gravity of recent headlines, maintaining the same fighting spirit that defined his storied career at Anfield and across Europe.

His wife, Mai, revealed that the public discourse has caused significant distress within their household. To shield the veteran coach from mounting anxiety and the emotional toll of the reports, she has taken the step of hiding his mobile phone to prevent him from reading further speculation about his condition.

"Demented? Not yet," Toshack told El Mundo with a wry smile. While the former striker admitted to some lapses in short-term memory, he remains sharp when discussing his footballing achievements. "I’ve forgotten all the goals I’ve missed, but I remember perfectly the ones I’ve scored."

The confusion stems from an interview where his son, Cameron, claimed his father faced a daily struggle with his memory. However, Mai clarified that the pair have not seen each other in two years, casting doubt on the accuracy of those claims. "He fell asleep at two in the morning crying," she says, referring to the worry caused by his eldest son's statements. "He hasn't seen his father for two years."

Toshack’s health has been a point of concern since a harrowing bout with Covid-19 six years ago. The Welshman spent 16 days in a Barcelona intensive care unit, an ordeal that required intubation and left him temporarily confined to a wheelchair.

"I was lucky to make it," Toshack reflected on the experience. "The doctors told me that if I hadn’t been an athlete, I wouldn’t have survived." 

Now 77, Toshack lives a peaceful life in Girona surrounded by his five dogs. He admitted to feeling his age, using a classic idiom he famously translated into Spanish decades ago: "I'm no spring chicken anymore."