European Cup winner Jimmy Rimmer dies aged 78

The football world is mourning the loss of Jimmy Rimmer, the accomplished former goalkeeper who famously played for top clubs including Aston Villa and Manchester United, passing away at the age of 78. Born in Southport, Rimmer built a distinguished career at the highest level of English professional football.

Early in his career, the Southport-born shot-stopper was named among the substitutes when Manchester United defeated Benfica to lift the 1968 European Cup. He later moved on to achieve tremendous success with Aston Villa, cementing his legacy in the Midlands.

One of his most iconic moments came when he started Villa's 1-0 triumph over Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final, though unfortunate circumstances saw him replaced by Nigel Spink after just nine minutes due to a neck injury. Despite that early setback, Rimmer had started every single game of Villa's run to the final, mirroring his ever-present role during their 1980-81 league title-winning campaign.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

In total, Rimmer made 229 league appearances for the Midlands club. His career also featured spells with Swansea City and Arsenal, where his impressive performances earned him the club's player of the season award for the 1974-75 campaign. On the international stage, he earned a single cap for England during a friendly match against Italy in 1976.

Source: BBC Sport