Former Liverpool and Premier League midfielder Peter Cormack passed away and has been confirmed dead at the age of 78.
The ex-Scotland international, who spent four years with the Merseyside outfit, had reportedly been battling dementia for the past five years according to his family.
Cormack was a professional footballer who played for Scotland’s national team and several clubs across Europe, which included Hibernian, Liverpool, and Bristol City.
He switched to a managerial role following the end of his career, managing five different teams between 1980 to 2002.
Peter Cormack club career
Born in Edinburg, Scotland, Cormack joined Hibernian at the age of 16, signing from cross-city rivals Tynecastle Park. He quickly climbed up the ranks and, after impressing with the reserves, was handed his professional debut shortly against Airdrieonians.
The arrival of manager Jock Stein at Hibernian during the 1964-65 season, saw Cormack discover his best form during this period with the club. The arrival of the manager saw Hibernian compete for league and cup titles, including recording some historic wins against Rangers, on three different occasions, including a 4-2 win at Ibrox, a match in which Cormack scored twice. They also defeated Real Madrid 2-0 – a game where Cormack was on the score sheet again.
Cormack scored 75 goals in 182 appearances for Hibernian during his seven-year spell with the club.
He moved to Nottingham Forest in March 1970 and spent two seasons, scoring 20 goals in 86 appearances for the club.
Peter Cormack at Liverpool
Liverpool were the next club to recruit the services of the Scot, signing him in July 1972, four days before his 26th birthday. Bill Shanky, who was Liverpool boss then, had reportedly been keen to bring Cormack to the club, labeling him ‘the final piece in the jigsaw.’
It didn’t take long for Cormack to make himself an integral part of the Reds squad, playing a vital role in their silverware wins during that period. He made his debut with Liverpool on September 2, 1972, in a 2-1 defeat against Derby County and scored his first goal for the team the following week in a 4-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Also, he scored the opener in a 2-0 win over Leeds in the Reds penultimate league game of the season – a result that helped Liverpool finish above Arsenal and become champions of England for the first time since 1966.
In the run to Liverpool UEFA Cup triumph, the Scot was also vital, featuring against Borussia Monchengladbach in the two-legged final – a match they won 3-2 on aggregate. He ended his debut season with the club, scoring 10 goals in 52 outings, grabbing the league and European cup also.
He also won the FA Cup in his second season with the club, and he featured in a 3-0 win over Newcastle in the final as the Reds clinched the title.
After four years, he ended his period at Anfield with six trophies, 178 appearances, and 26 goals.
From Liverpool, Cormack joined Bristol City for £50,000. He spent four years with them, although struggled for game time due to injury. He left the team after scoring 15 times in 67 games with them, winning the Anglo-Scottish Cup in the 1977-78 season.
A reunion with Hibernian was next on the cards for Cormack and he subsequently ended his career at the club.
Peter Cormack International career
Cormack featured nine times for the Scotland national team, including at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, but he never scored or registered an assist with them.
Peter Cormack honours
The Scot won a total of seven club silverware across spells with Hibernian, Liverpool, and Bristol, which were two league titles, a UEFA cup, a Fa cup, two Fa clarity shields with Liverpool, and an Anglo-Scottish cup with Bristol.
