Liverpool great Smith to sell medals

10 February 2012 11:16

Former Liverpool captain Tommy Smith is to sell the medals he won during his highly successful career at Anfield.

Tough-tackling defender Smith, renowned as one of the 'hardest' players of his era but a better footballer than sometimes given credit for, made 638 appearances for hometown club Liverpool from 1963-1978.

He won four English league titles, two FA Cups, two UEFA Cups under legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly and the 1977 European Cup under Shankly's successor, Bob Paisley.

Smith's collectiom is set to sell for an estimated £120,000 ($189,993) when it is auctioned in Chester, north-west England, on February 22 and the 66-year-old told the Liverpool Echo: "I had a wonderful career but the memories I've got are more important to me than the medals and the shirts.

"I'm not skint, I don't have to do this, but I'm getting old and the money is of more use to me now than the medals.

"It's not as if I've been used to having my medals all out on display at home and seeing them every day.

"I hadn't seen them for about two years as they were in the bank and I just thought, what the hell are they doing there?

"They are worth an awful lot of money but no one is benefiting from them all just sitting there; it's not helping me and it's not helping my family.

"I want to ensure one day I'm able to leave them some money."

Source: AFP