Billy McNeill has died at the age of 79. In a statement from the McNeill family, issued via Celtic, it was said: It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father Billy McNeill. He passed away late last night (Monday, April 22) surrounded by his family and loved ones. He suffered from Dementia for a number of years and fought bravely to the end, showing the strength and fortitude he always has done throughout his life. We would also like to note our love and appreciation to our mother, Liz, for the care, devotion and love she gave to our father throughout his illness. No one could have done any more. Whilst this is a very sad time for all the family and we know our privacy will be respected, our father always made time for the supporters so please tell his stories, sing his songs and help us celebrate his life. McNeill became the first British player to lift the European Cup when he captained Celtic in their 1967 victory over Inter Milan. "Billy McNeill was our greatest ever captain and one of the finest players ever to wear the famous green and white Hoops," said Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell. "His record as a player is extraordinary. He made 790 competitive appearances for Celtic – more than any other player in our history – and during that time he won nine league titles, seven Scottish Cups, six League Cups and, of course, the European Cup triumph in 1967. "That remains the greatest moment in our club’s long and illustrious history, and the image of Billy holding aloft the trophy in the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon is an iconic one which is now immortalised in the stunning statue at the front of The Celtic Way. Advertisement "He also managed the club in two separate periods, winning a total of four league titles, three Scottish Cups and the League Cup. Among his many successes from the dugout are memorable triumphs such as the 1979 title win, when 10 men won the league and, of course, the Centenary Double success in 1988." Tributes have been paid to the man Celtic fans called Cesar. Rest in peace, Cesar. You’ll Never Walk Alone. pic.twitter.com/FLCdURfuox — Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) April 23, 2019 ⚫Athletic Club regrets the passing of @CelticFC legend Billy McNeill and joins the pain of family, friends and the entire emblematic club.#AthleticClub #OneClubMan pic.twitter.com/BK9NBleXEB — Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) April 23, 2019 Billy McNeill, @CelticFC & @ScotlandNT legend, has died at the age of 79. In 1967, he became the first British man to lift the European Cup - one of a staggering 3⃣1⃣ major trophies he won with Celtic as player and manager 👏 #RIP pic.twitter.com/oeQTGSGw3k — FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) April 23, 2019<doc-sep>Former Celtic captain Billy McNeill has passed away aged 79. He famously skippered the Bhoys to the European Cup in 1967 with victory against Inter Milan and won nine league titles in a row as well as seven Scottish Cups and six League Cups. McNeill managed the club twice, leading them to another four league crowns. A statement from his children on the Celtic website read: "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father Billy McNeill. "He passed away late [Monday] night surrounded by his family and loved ones. He suffered from dementia for a number of years and fought bravely to the end, showing the strength and fortitude he always has done throughout his life." McNeill joined Celtic in 1957 from junior side Blantyre Victoria and holds the club record for most appearances with 822 over 18 seasons. The defender also won 29 caps for Scotland. He had two spells as Celtic manager spanning nearly 10 years in total and won 31 trophies across his long association with the club. Current Hoops boss Neil Lennon led the tributes, saying: "This is such sad news and I want to send thoughts and prayers to Liz and all the family from myself and all the backroom staff here at the club. "When you think of Celtic and our incredible history, Billy McNeill is always one of the first names that comes to mind. "He was our greatest ever captain and one of our greatest ever players, and along with his team-mates, achieved historic things for Celtic in the 1960s and '70s. "I love Billy's statue, which is the first thing you see whenever you walk up The Celtic Way. It's the perfect image of him, holding aloft the European Cup, and it will remind future generations of supporters of what a great Celtic man he was." Read next: Billy McNeill - A natural leader with no empty words Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell described his passing as a "profound" loss. "Billy McNeill was our greatest ever captain and one of the finest players ever to wear the famous green and white hoops," he told the club website. "His record as a player is extraordinary. He made 790 competitive appearances for Celtic - more than any other player in our history - and during that time he won nine league titles, seven Scottish Cups, six League Cups and, of course, the European Cup triumph in 1967. "That remains the greatest moment in our club’s long and illustrious history, and the image of Billy holding aloft the trophy in the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon is an iconic one which is now immortalised in the stunning statue at the front of The Celtic Way. "It is often said that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but with Billy, as with all the Lisbon Lions, meeting them has always been a wonderful experience. They have remained humble men, regardless of their incredible achievements as Celtic players, embodying everything that is good and positive about Celtic Football Club."<doc-sep>The former Scotland international made over 800 appearances for the Celts from 1957 to 1975 with him wearing the captain's armband as the Hoops became the first British club to win the European Cup in 1967, under the stewardship of Sir Alex's managerial mentor, Jock Stein. McNeill moved into management following his retirement from playing, preceding our former manager at Aberdeen where he took charge at Pittodrie from 1977 to 1983. He managed clubs north and south of the border, with two stints at Celtic Park alongside spells at Manchester City and Aston Villa.<doc-sep>
FORMER CELTIC CAPTAIN — the leader of the Lisbon Lions — and manager Billy McNeill has died aged 79. The club confirmed the news this morning with a statement from McNeill’s family on their website: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father, Billy McNeill,” it reads in full. “He passed away late last night (Monday, 22 April) surrounded by his family and loved ones. He suffered from dementia for a number of years and fought bravely to the end, showing the strength and fortitude he always has done throughout his life. “We would also like to note our love and appreciation to our mother, Liz, for the care, devotion and love she gave to our father throughout his illness. No one could have done any more. “Whilst this is a very sad time for all the family and we know our privacy will be respected, our father always made time for the supporters so please tell his stories, sing his songs and help us celebrate his life.” McNeill famously led the Scottish outfit to European Cup glory in 1967, beating Inter Milan 2-1 in the final in Lisbon. He was key as Celtic won nine league crowns on the bounce, adding seven Scottish Cups and six League Cups in the process. As manager, he had two stints at the helm and steered the Bhoys to a further four league titles. He also had spells in charge of Manchester City and Aston Villa. McNeill, who was also capped 29 times for Scotland, had suffered from dementia since 2010. Rest in peace, Cesar. You’ll Never Walk Alone. pic.twitter.com/FLCdURfuox — Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) April 23, 2019 Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell added: “Billy McNeill was our greatest-ever captain and one of the finest players ever to wear the famous green and white Hoops. “His record as a player is extraordinary. He made 790 competitive appearances for Celtic – more than any other player in our history – and during that time he won nine league titles, seven Scottish Cups, six League Cups and, of course, the European Cup triumph in 1967. “That remains the greatest moment in our club’s long and illustrious history, and the image of Billy holding aloft the trophy in the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon is an iconic one which is now immortalised in the stunning statue at the front of The Celtic Way. “It is often said that you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but with Billy, as with all the Lisbon Lions, meeting them has always been a wonderful experience. They have remained humble men, regardless of their incredible achievements as Celtic players, embodying everything that is good and positive about Celtic Football Club. “This is the saddest of days for the Celtic Family, and also for the wider football world. We mourn Billy McNeill’s passing and we send our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends, while we also give thanks for Billy’s life and the incredible joy he brought to so many people as a Celtic player, a Celtic manager and a great Celtic man.” Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here: