Jamie Carragher has paid tribute to Tommy Smith following the former Liverpool captain's death.
The 74-year-old Legendary former Liverpool captain Tommy Smith dies aged 74 following a courageous and dignified battle with dementia.
A Liverpool player for 18 years and then a respected ECHO columnist for 35 years, Smith was one of the most influential figures in the club's long history.
Smith forged a fearsome reputation as one of English football's toughest players during his time with the Reds, helping them to four league titles, two FA Cups and the 1977 European Cup in Rome.
Former England international Smith also helped Liverpool to two UEFA Cups in 1973 and 1976 and Carragher has detailed the importance of Smith towards the club's success in the 1960s and 1970s.
Legendary former Liverpool captain Tommy Smith dies aged 74
Carragher said: "An amazing man and player, the ‘Anfield iron’ as he was christened by Bill Shankly.
"The word legend is used a lot, certainly at Liverpool Football Club. When you think of that word legend, it’s Tommy Smith.
"The reason being, with people like him, who brought the first ever FA Cup back to Liverpool, the first European Cup in Rome, he scored in that game.
"They’re the proper legends, there’s been a lot of great players at Liverpool, in the history of the club, but you go back to that word legend and no matter what comes after, what has come before, there will never be another Tommy Smith."
Tommy Smith - Anfield Iron inspired, intimidated and led Liverpool into their glory years
Having initially worked as a groundsman, he joined the club on school boy terms in 1960 before Shankly fast-tracked him through to the Liverpool first team.
Under the iconic Shankly , Smith would go on to eventually captain his boyhood club and made 638 appearances, which places him eighth in the all-time list at Anfield.
