Gary Speed died hours after
joking with colleagues on Football Focus
At midday on Saturday the Wales
manager Gary Speed was live on the BBC’s Football Focus programme discussing
his future plans for the side.
27 November 2011
He was on “great form” according
to those there and left the studio after making tentative plans to appear again
on the show before Christmas. This morning, a little over 18 hours later, the
42-year-old was found hanged at his home in Cheshire having apparently
committed suicide.
Last night mystery surrounded his
death, with friends and figures in the football world at a loss to explain why
Speed, a successful young manager and former Premier League player, would
apparently take his own life.
Speed’s death came a day after
the former Liverpool footballer Stan Collymore spoke candidly about his battle
with depression. Online speculation suggested that Speed had perhaps suffered
from the illness. Whether he did was not certain last night. There was also
suggestion that Speed, a former Leeds, Everton, Newcastle United and Bolton
Wanderers player, had recently learned that a tabloid newspaper was to print a
story about his private life.
The Sun newspaper denied online
accusations.
A message on the paper’s official
Twitter account read: “No truth in this story. The Sun was not investigating
Gary Speed in any way.”
Police were called to Speed’s
home in Huntington, Chester, shortly after 7am today. Officers discovered his
body and a statement was released indicating that there were “no suspicious
circumstances”.
His wife, Louise, and two
children, Edward, 14, and Thomas, 13, were believed to be with family at the
remote country house. Police said that the family intend to make a public
statement “at a later date”.Last week Speed travelled to Brussels to attend a
fixtures meeting for Wales’s World Cup campaign.His Saturday had started with a
trip to Salford, to the BBC’s new studios, to appear as a guest on Football
Focus alongside his former Leeds United team mate Gary McAllister.
Dan Walker, the show’s presenter,
said that Speed gave no outwardly sign of any personal turmoil. Instead he
spoke about golf and his two sons and even made tentative arrangements to
appear on the show next month.
Mr Walker said: “He was on great
form, cracking jokes and asking about my family and kids. He was talking
passionately about the future. There was absolutely no indication at all.
“He gave me the impression that
he was really looking forward to his kids growing up to be really good
footballers and Wales qualifying for the World Cup.”
After the show ended, at 1pm, he
met up with Match of the Day pundits Alan Shearer, whom Speed had played
alongside at Newcastle United, and Mark Lawrenson to watch the early Premier
League game between Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers. Then, just before 3pm, he
made the short journey to Old Trafford to watch his former team Newcastle take
on Manchester United. The match finished shortly before 5pm and it is thought
Speed travelled back to his home in Chester where, little more than 12 hours
later, he was found hanged. At some point in the day Speed is thought to have
spoken to his former Wales team mate Robbie Savage.
Savage, who is currently
appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, wrote on Twitter: “He was upbeat on phone
yesterday we were laughing together, talking football and dancing he was a
great teammate and a great friend
“He come to watch strictly 3/4
weeks ago I high fived him in the front row he loved the show ,he loved life he
loved his family ! Devastated”
Other tributes were paid from the
world of football. Michael Owen, the Manchester United striker, lived close to
Speed in Cheshire. He wrote: “Just cannot believe the news regarding Gary
Speed. We waved at each other a couple of days ago dropping our kids off at
school. I'm numb.
“He has died aged 42. So sad. He
lived local to me and we knew his family. He leaves behind 2 sons. Tragic.”
The Prime Minister David Cameron
also released a tribute via a Downing Street spokesman.
It said: "The Prime Minister
was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Gary Speed, who was greatly
respected by football fans across the country both as a player and manager.
"The Prime Minister's
thoughts are with his family and friends on this very sad day for fans
everywhere, especially in Wales."
The Football Association of
Wales’s chief executive Jonathan Ford said: “I, and all of the football family
of Wales, am devastated by the news of Gary’s passing. My thoughts and prayers
are with his wife and family at this difficult time.”
Phil Pritchard, the association’s
president, added: “I am completely shocked by this terrible news and my
thoughts are with his family. We will do whatever we can as an association to
help them in this difficult time.”
