Jimmy Rimmer, the accomplished goalkeeper who secured European Cup titles with both Manchester United and Aston Villa, has died at the age of 78. His passing has prompted tributes from his former clubs, both of which expressed that they were “deeply saddened” by the news.
Born in Southport, Rimmer’s career included a historic stint at Manchester United, where he served as the substitute goalkeeper during their 1968 European Cup victory against Benfica. He later moved to Aston Villa in 1977, embarking on a seven-year tenure that became a defining chapter of his professional life.
Rimmer was instrumental in Villa’s success, starting every match during their 1980-81 league title-winning campaign and their subsequent run to the 1982 European Cup final. In that final against Bayern Munich, he started the match but was forced off after just nine minutes due to a neck injury, with Nigel Spink stepping in to help secure the 1-0 win.
Throughout his time with the Midlands club, Rimmer made 229 league appearances. His career also featured significant spells at Arsenal, where he was named player of the season for the 1974-75 campaign, and Swansea City. On the international stage, he earned a single England cap during a 1976 friendly match against Italy.
Former Manchester United team-mate and fellow goalkeeper Alex Stepney paid tribute on social media, writing: “Such sad news to hear Jimmy Rimmer has passed away, rest in peace and lots of love to Jimmy’s family x.”
Rimmer joined Aston Villa in 1977 and spent seven years at the club
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