Kop icon to sell medal collection
One of Anfield's greatest ever players is selling his medals.
Tommy Smith won league titles, FA Cups, UEFA Cups and European Cups during 638 Liverpool appearances between 1960 and 1978.
Now aged 66, the former centre-back has decided the time is right to find his medal collection a new home.
A total of 75 lots will be auctioned later this month, with experts predicting they could fetch in the region of £120,000.
Smith told The 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 getting old and the money is of more use to me now than the medals. This is about me putting my family first.
"It's something I've been thinking about for a long time.
"I had them all packed up in the loft and then a few years ago I moved them to a bank for safe keeping. 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.
"It was absolutely brilliant to win all those medals. I had a wonderful career and everyone knows I gave everything I had for the club.
"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.
"I am suffering these days with health problems linked to my football days. I've got two false knees, a false hip and a false elbow.
"This way hopefully those people who buy the items will be happy and I'll be happy as well with the money generated. It's about me putting my family first. I want to ensure one day I'm able to leave them some money."
The auction is taking place at Bonhams in Chester on Wednesday, February 22 at 11am.
There are medals, shirts, plaques, tankards, silver salvers, glassware and signed photographs from Smith's career.
Smith was famously part of Liverpool's first FA Cup-winning side in 1965. His medal is expected to fetch around £10,000, with the shirt he wore at Wembley estimated at £8,000.
"I was made up to win the FA Cup in 1965. As a kid I had dreamed about walking up those steps to the Royal Box," he said.
"When my mother took me up to Anfield to sign for the club she told Bill Shankly, 'Liverpool have never won the Cup but with my son in the team you will.'
"After we won the final and I got back into the dressing room at Wembley I remember Shanks said to me, 'Your mum certainly knows a lot about football!'
"To be captain when Liverpool won their first European trophy in 1973 was another proud night. That was absolutely tremendous.
"Then there was the European Cup final in 1977. People always want to talk about the goal I scored in Rome.
"They are the three that really stick out for me. If I was going to keep any of them then it would be those three, but I made the decision to let everything go.
"It's something I talked about with my son Darren and daughter Janette. I've still got plenty of photos, including ones of the medals for the four grandkids.
"The medals themselves will go elsewhere but I'll always have the memories of those special days. That's enough for me."