English football mourns European Cup winner Ray Kennedy

Kennedy, who had been suffering from Parkinson's disease, played in and won three European Cup finals with Liverpool, in 1977, 1978 and 1981.

Born in the north-east of England, he began his professional career at Arsenal where he won the Inter-Cities' Fairs Cup in 1970, scoring the Gunners' late goal in their 3-1 first-leg defeat at Anderlecht in the final, prior to a 3-0 second-leg comeback success. The next year he won the league and FA Cup double with the north London club.

After joining Liverpool in 1974, the midfielder went on to help the Anfield club win five league titles, the UEFA Cup (1976) and English League Cup (1981). In their UEFA Cup final against Club Brugge, it was his goal that sparked the comeback from two goals down in Liverpool's 3-2 first-leg win, prior to a 1-1 draw in Belgium. Another crucial goal from Kennedy came in the second leg of the 1978 European Cup semi-final against Borussia Mönchengladbach, providing the early breakthrough as Liverpool won 3-0 to overturn a first-leg deficit.

Kennedy, who left Merseyside in 1982 to join Swansea City, won 17 caps for England between 1976 and 1980.