TRIBUTES have been pouring in from across the sporting world for the Welsh team manager Gary Speed, who has died aged 42. The ex-Leeds United and Newcastle United player was found dead at his home in Cheshire. He is believed to have taken his own life. The news was confirmed in a statement by the Welsh Football Association on Sunday morning; “We extend our sympathies and condolences to the family. We ask that everyone respects the family’s privacy at this very sad time.”
Born on September 8, 1969, Gary Speed became one of the most honest professionals in the game and the tributes over the past 24 hours since the news broke indicate that no bad word could be said about his personality. At club level, he came through the ranks at Leeds United, under the stewardship of Howard Wilkinson. The former FA technical director told Sky Sports; “He had so much to offer as a person and as a sportsman. I just find it unbelievable. I cannot start to try to understand what his family are going through. Gary had a lot of talent and that talent became his job. Footballers are subject to all the stress and strains of things that happen in life.”
Making his first team debut at just 19 years of age, Speed was part of the squad alongside the likes of Gary McAllister and Eric Cantona to win the final football league title in 1992 before the inception of the FA Premier League. Another member of the squad and a managerial counterpart when Speed was at Sheffield United, Gordon Strachan shared his memories on BBC Radio 5 Live. “I was proud of Gary Speed, like a kind of father figure would be because he wasn’t the most talented of kids when I first met him but he wanted to make himself better. I am going to miss his laugh, he had a childlike laugh. I was speaking to Gary McAllister and I said I would forget the games and the goals but I would never forget his laugh and I am never going to hear that again.”
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