Scotland and Liverpool legend Ian St John dies aged 82
After he retired he became a favourite football TV pundit with Jimmy Greaves on ITV
Former Scotland and Liverpool striker Ian St John has died at the age of 82.
St John made 425 appearances for the Reds and scored 118 goals as a key member of Bill Shankly’s famous side of the 1960s.
The Merseyside club said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of a true Anfield legend, Ian St John.
“The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Ian’s family and friends at this sad and difficult time. Rest in peace, Ian St John 1938-2021.”
Originally hailing from Motherwell in Scotland, St John signed for his home team in 1957, before leaving four years later to join Liverpool FC for a club record fee of £37,500.
St John won two first division titles under Shankly and scored the winning goal in the 1965 FA Cup final, deemed "the single greatest moment of the Shankly era."
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard heard the news during his Rangers press conference.
The Gers boss said: "That's a shock and a surprise to me. I didn't know that.
"I'm really disappointed to hear that. He's an iconic figure at Liverpool Football Club.
"He's someone I've met on numerous occasions. A fantastic guy. Really insightful in terms of his career and experience at Liverpool and trying to pass on a lot of knowledge and expertise.
"So I'm really devastated to hear that news to be honest with you. Shocked as well, so I'd like to pass on my condolences to all his family and everyone close to the Saint. He's a legend and an iconic figure at the club and someone I've got incredible respect for.''
He also represented Scotland 21 times, scoring nine goals.
The Scottish Football Association tweeted: "We are saddened by the passing of former Scotland international Ian St John.
"Ian won 21 caps for his country, scoring nine times during a career that saw him represent Motherwell and Liverpool. The thoughts of everyone at the Scottish FA are with Ian's family and friends.''
After retiring in 1973, he returned to Motherwell as manager, before moving to manage Portsmouth in 1974.
Following his stints in the capacity of manager, he went on to have a successful pundit career in partnership with Jimmy Greaves, the pair fronting the programme Saint and Greavsie.
Keen to encourage younger players to pick up the sport, he launched St John’s Soccer Camps, football academies aimed at coaching up and coming youth players.
Tributes to the Liverpool legend have been pouring in on social media.