Liverpool FC mourns the loss of former midfielder Peter Cormack, who passed away at the age of 78.
The Scottish player, a winner of the league, UEFA Cup, and FA Cup during his tenure with the club from 1972 to 1976, passed away on Thursday night.
Acquired by Bill Shankly from Nottingham Forest, Cormack proved to be an instrumental figure in the iconic manager's final years at the helm of the Reds.
His debut came against Derby County in September 1972, followed by his first goal for Liverpool a week later against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield.
Cormack's inaugural season brought numerous highlights, and he quickly won over the fans with a decisive late goal in the Merseyside derby at home in October. Reflecting on the experience, he said, "It was a terrific feeling, and I didn’t spend much money that night!"
By the end of that season, Peter had participated in 52 matches across all competitions and netted 10 goals, contributing to Shankly's squad securing the First Division title for the first time since 1965-66 and playing every minute of the UEFA Cup final's two legs, which saw Liverpool triumph over Borussia Monchengladbach to claim their inaugural European trophy.
In the 1973-74 season, Cormack matched his previous record with 57 appearances and 11 goals, including eight in the FA Cup campaign that ended with a resounding victory at Wembley against Newcastle United.
He remained a regular player after Bob Paisley became Liverpool's manager in 1974, but a knee cartilage problem that worsened in December 1975 cut his time at Anfield short.
In what turned out to be his last game for the club, Peter scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 home win against Manchester City.
"I've always had this issue with my knee; the cartilage was cracked," he said. "I was informed I could continue playing, but it would eventually fail. And one day, it did."
Peter left the Reds in November 1976 after making 178 appearances and scoring 26 goals. He then moved to Bristol City and later returned to Hibernian, where he started his professional career.
Cormack transitioned into management with Partick Thistle in late 1980, later leading Anorthosis and Botswana, and then returned to management in the early 2000s with Cowdenbeath and Greenock Morton.
Rest in peace, Peter Cormack, 1946-2024.
