From Foe to Cheick – five player deaths

IVORY Coast international and former Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote died while training for his Chinese club on Monday.

The 30-year-old Ivory Coast international “suddenly fainted” during a regular training session on Monday and was taken to hospital where he died, his Chinese club Beijing Enterprises said.

Here are four other players who died during their careers:

Cameroon midfielder Marc Vivien Foe collapsed after a heart attack during a Confederations Cup semifinal against Colombia in Lyon, France. The former Manchester City, West Ham and Lyon player was carried from the pitch as medical staff tried to revive him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen. After trying to restart his heart for 45 minutes without success he was declared dead, aged just 28. His death prompted improvements in both the testing of footballers for heart problems and the treatment they can receive during to win the Uefa Cup. Sergio Ramos has a tattoo tribute to Puerta.

“Antonio has always been with me. The next game, I went out on the field with his shirt and for a long time after that, I wore one that was dedicated to him,” said Ramos.

Motherwell captain Phil O’Donnell died of heart failure towards the end of his side’s 5-3 Scottish Premier League win over Dundee United in December 2007. The 35year-old midfielder collapsed just as he was about to be substituted and was treated for around five minutes on the field before being taken to a waiting ambulance.

O’Donnell played for Scotland, Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday during his career and his death caused widespread grief in Scottish football, causing a number of fixtures to be postponed.

“He was a man among boys in every sense, in his attitude, his professionalism and integrity and sincerity,” his manager Mark McGhee said.

The 26-year-old Dani Jarque had been appointed Espanyol captain a month before he died of a heart attack in his hotel room during a pre-season trip to Coverciano in Italy. During the 2010 World Cup final Jarque’s close friend Andres Iniesta, who played with him for the Spain U21 side, celebrated his extra-time winning goal against the Netherlands by racing to the touchline and revealing a T-shirt with the words “Dani Jarque siempre con nosotros” (Dani Jarque always with us). — AFP