Terry Yorath

Terence Charles Yorath (27 March 1950 – 7 January 2026) was a Welsh professional football player and manager at both club and international level.

Yorath represented Leeds United, Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur, Vancouver Whitecaps, Bradford City, Swansea City and the Welsh national team. He later became a football manager for Bradford City, Swansea City, Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday, as well as assistant at Huddersfield Town. Yorath also managed the Wales and Lebanon national teams.

Yorath was an apprentice at Leeds United, signing professional forms in 1967 at the age of 17; he made his debut against Burnley at Turf Moor on 11 May 1968. Alongside other Leeds midfield players of the time, such as Mick Bates and Terry Hibbitt, he found it difficult to establish himself ahead of Don Revie's preferred pairing of Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles.

In the 1972–73 season, injuries and suspensions allowed Yorath to establish himself as a first team regular; his first season ended with two cup final runners-up medals. He was a substitute in the 1973 FA Cup Final, which Leeds lost 1–0 to Sunderland, and also appeared in the 1973 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final, which Leeds lost in controversial circumstances to AC Milan.

Yorath finally won some silverware the following 1973–74 season, where he was a key member of the Leeds championship winning side. Yorath became the first Welshman to play in a European Cup final when Leeds reached the final of the UEFA European Cup, but again he ended up with a runners up medal as Leeds lost 2–0 to Bayern Munich in controversial circumstances.

Don Revie had left Leeds to manage England, and his eventual replacement Jimmy Armfield decided to dispense with Yorath's services in 1976, selling him to Coventry City for £125,000. During his time with Leeds, Yorath made 199 appearances and scored eleven goals.

Yorath remained at Coventry for three years, playing 99 games and scoring three goals. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur in August 1979 for the sum of £300,000. Yorath's debut occurred on 18 August 1979 which was a Football League game against Middlesbrough in which Tottenham lost 3–1. In February 1981 he transferred to Vancouver Whitecaps in the North American Soccer League. He served as the captain of the Whitecaps for two seasons, before returning to the UK in 1982.

Yorath picked up the first of 59 Welsh caps in 1970 against Italy, and he maintained a regular presence in the international side until 1981. Yorath also captained his country on 42 occasions.