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Gary Speed, dead at 42

Michael Kenrick , 27 November, 138comments  |  Jump to most recent
Wales manager's apparent suicide stuns the football world
Shocking news of a former Everton player and lifelong Evertonian, Gary Speed, who has been found dead at his home in Cheshire. Speed joined Everton from Leeds United in June 1996 for £3.5M but left after only two years under acrimonious circumstances and went on to play for Newcastle then Bolton before retiring. More recently, he became the national manager of Wales. In December 2006, Gary Speed became the first player to pass the landmark 500 appearances in the Premier League: 58 of those were for Everton, the club Gary had supported since he was a lad. He will be sadly missed.

A Tribute from Matt Traynor:

Sad news breaking that our former player and captain, Gary Speed, has died aged 42. Details will no doubt emerge, but it brings things a little more into perspective.

When we signed him in 1996, I thought it was going to be the beginning of something spectacular — a resurgence, with players like Kanchelskis etc in the side.

A boyhood Blue, we got him from Leeds for £3.5m, but it was to turn sour with rumours of unrest with the Kendall Mk III regime culminating in him allegedly refusing to travel to West Ham, and ultimately his transfer to Newcastle for £5.5m in 1998.

It was a shame how he was "remembered" by a section of the crowd, and his slotting the 4th goal from the spot in a 4-0 drubbing by Bolton at Goodison won't have helped, but a good friend of mine who knew him as a footballer always spoke about his qualities as a person, as well as a player.

Speed played an incredible 535 games in the Premier League — only overtaken by goalkeeper (inevitably) David James.

RIP Gary Speed — 8 September 1969 to 27 November 2011

Quotes or other material sourced from BBC Sport

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