James among ‘the very best wingers’ – Toshack

Former Wales international and manager John Toshack says Leighton James was “one of the very best wingers British football has ever seen.”

Toshack says Wales were “lucky” to have the former Burnley winger, who played 54 times for his country.

“Leighton is one of the best two-footed players I’ve ever played with or seen and I have seen quite a few,” he said.

“I always enjoyed teaming up with him, he was full of confidence in his own ability.

“Some of the best moments I had with Wales and the goals I scored were because of Leighton. He was some talent.”

James played 399 games for Burnley in three spells and spent two years at Derby County.

James also represented Swansea City, Sunderland, Bury and Newport County in a 19-year playing career before turning to management with several clubs and forging a career as an often outspoken pundit.

Toshack played with James and also managed the mercurial winger at Swansea, with James scoring a stunning goal in a win at Preston that clinched a first-ever promotion to the top-flight for the Swans in 1981.

“We all remember the final game at Preston where we had to win to get promoted and Leighton scored that magnificent goal, it was classic example of the ability he had,” Toshack told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

“The out and out winger these days is a dying breed in football, but Leighton James was one of the finest wingers that British football has ever produced and we were very very lucky at the fact he was a Welshman.”

Writer and political strategist Alastair Campbell, a Burnley supporter, described James as his “hero.”

“They say you should never meet your heroes,” he wrote. “But I met mine many times and he became a good pal.

“Leighton James was a wonderful footballer, perhaps Burnley’s best ever. I know he had been ill but still a huge shock to get the news he has died.”

Campbell said James was a “special footballer.”

“He was one of those players, like George Best, that when the ball went towards him, you just had that excitement around what he was going to do,” he told BBC Wales.

“He was special like that. There was something about him that was just special.

“I was surprised he never played for one of the really big clubs, because he was that good… he was a wonderful footballer.”

Toshack says James will be remembered as fondly in Burnley as Wales after three spells with the Clarets.

“The success Leighton had there with them and the goals that he scored, I’m sure that the supporters will be remembering those goals for a long long time to come,” Toshack added.

“There will be a lot of sadness in that area of Lancashire because he was an incredible talent.”

Swansea and Wales legend Alan Curtis said James “was a great player”.

Curtis added: “That word is often given to good players, not great ones, but Leighton was a genuinely great player.

“Even to this day I don’t know if he was right or left-footed. He was a terrific player.”

Wales forward Ian Walsh says James is a huge loss to Welsh football.

“Apart from being a wonderfully technical footballer, he was an imposing character,” he said.

“I had some really funny moments and some great times with him as a team-mate.

“His style of wing-play is a skill that has gone out of the game.”

BBC Radio Wales and Sport editor Carolyn Hitt also paid tribute, saying: “Leighton was a familiar and popular contributor to the BBC Sport Wales.

“Our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends at this time.”