Villa European Cup winner Rimmer dies at 78

Jimmy Rimmer, a former Aston Villa goalkeeper and member of their victorious 1982 European Cup-winning team, has passed away at the age of 78. Born in England, Rimmer enjoyed a successful career spanning over two decades and became one of the few players to win the prestigious European Cup with two different English clubs, Aston Villa and Manchester United.

Rimmer started his senior career with Manchester United, where he helped the team secure the European Cup in 1968. However, he did not participate in the final against Benfica. After leaving Manchester United, Rimmer moved to Arsenal before eventually joining Aston Villa, where he established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper.

During his time at Aston Villa, Rimmer played a crucial role in the club's successful 1980-81 First Division title campaign and their historic European Cup run in the following season. Villa defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the 1982 European Cup final, with Peter Withe scoring the decisive goal. Rimmer started the match but was forced off due to an injury after just nine minutes. Nigel Spink came on as a substitute and delivered a remarkable performance, leading Aston Villa to victory.

Despite leaving the field early, Rimmer was recognized as a key player in the European Cup-winning team and was honored with his second winners' medal. In addition to his football career, Rimmer also represented England at the international level, earning one senior cap. Over his career, Rimmer made 229 league appearances for Aston Villa.