A BRADFORD-BORN defender who appeared in the first ever League Cup final and attracted significant attention from Bill Shankly's Liverpool has passed away at the age of 85.

Peter Madden was a versatile player in his early days at Rotherham United, where he spent most of his playing career.

He turned out at left-back, inside-left and even centre forward in his early 20s, before establishing himself as a key player in the centre of defence.

His form caught the attention of Liverpool in 1960, who Shankly had took charge of a year earlier, with Rotherham forced to turn down two bids from the Reds.

The following year, Rotherham came agonisingly came close to lifting their first major trophy.

They beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Millmoor in the first leg of the inaugural League Cup final, but two weeks later, lost 3-0 in the return leg at Villa Park.

The Millers have never come closer to winning a major trophy, before or since.

It was also in 1961 that Rotherham turned down a sizeable offer of £15,000 from Fulham for Madden's services, and he remained at the South Yorkshire club for another five years.

After a decade at Rotherham, where he made 353 appearances, he was finally lured away by the pull of his home city, as he signed for Bradford (Park Avenue).

But he only stayed there for a year, going off to play for Aldershot before retiring.

Madden turned his hand to management in 1975, taking charge of Darlington for three years.

He then managed Rochdale between 1980 and 1983. After leaving, he remained in the area, running a pub in Greater Manchester.