Jimmy Rimmer passed away: the two-time winner of the Champions Cup died at the age of 78

The famous English goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer passed away at the age of 78. During his long career, he managed to win the most prestigious club trophy in Europe with two different teams, becoming a true legend of British football. The Southport native began his journey to great success with Manchester United. In 1968, he was on the bench as the Red Devils beat Benfica in the final to win the European Cup for the first time in the club's history. However, his real star time came at Birmingham's Aston Villa. Rimmer was a key figure in the team, playing every game without exception in the 1980–81 Championship season. The following year, he was also the team's consistent number one on their glorious run to the Champions Cup final. Although in the very final of 1982 against Bayern Munich (1:0), the goalkeeper was forced to leave the field due to a neck injury in the ninth minute (giving way to Nigel Spink), his contribution to this historic triumph cannot be overestimated. In total, he made 229 league appearances for the Midlands club. In addition to United and Villa, Rimmer successfully defended the colors of Swansea City and London's Arsenal. Playing for the Gunners, he demonstrated such a confident game that he was recognized as the team's best player at the end of the 1974-1975 season. At the international level, the goalkeeper played one match for the national team of England - this happened in a friendly game against Italy in 1976. Jimmy's former clubs Aston Villa, Manchester United and Arsenal have already released official statements saying they were saddened by his death and paid tribute to their great player.