UGO EHIOGU 1972-2017
Former defender, 44, dies after heart attack
“A gentle giant off the pitch; a colossus on it. Football is in disbelief.”
Spurs youth players lose coach and ‘father figure’
England manager Gareth Southgate led the heartfelt tributes to Ugo Ehiogu yesterday following the sudden death of a coach who was described as an on-field “colossus” and a “father figure” to a generation of young Tottenham Hotspur players.
Ehiogu, 44, suffered a heart attack on Thursday morning at Tottenham’s Enfield training base, where he was the manager of the under-23 team, and died in hospital early yesterday morning.
Southgate, who was a close friend and team-mate of Ehiogu at Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and England, articulated the “disbelief ” and deep grief being felt throughout the national game. “I’m stunned and deeply saddened,” said Southgate. “Losing him at such a young age is difficult to come to terms with. I probably played more games with Ugo than anybody else in my career and, while in many ways he was a gentle giant away from football, he was a colossus on the pitch. We were prepared to put our bodies on the line for each other.
“Most importantly, he was a gentleman. He is one of those characters that people would find it difficult to have anything bad to say about. Ugo was a credit to football; a credit to his family.”
Tottenham play Chelsea in today’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, when both teams will wear black armbands, and there will be a pre-match minute’s applause. A similar tribute will take place before Aston Villa’s derby against Birmingham City tomorrow.
Pictures of Ehiogu will be screened at Wembley, and Tottenham have cancelled all their academy games this weekend.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was among the shocked staff who rushed to the pitches where Ehiogu collapsed shortly before noon on Thursday. He was treated by club medics before an ambulance arrived and, in their statement, Tottenham thanked staff at North Middlesex University Hospital and Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital.
Witnesses said that Pochettino and his assistant Jesús Pérez were visibly upset as they left the scene. “Ugo was a lovely man,” said Pochettino. “It’s a huge loss both personally and for all the Tottenham Hotspur family.”
John McDermott, the head of coaching and player development, said: “Words cannot express the shock and sadness that we all feel at the club. Ugo’s immense presence will be irreplaceable.”
Ehiogu had been forging a promising career in coaching at Tottenham following a distinguished playing career that included four England caps, League Cup wins at both Aston Villa and Middlesbrough as well as spells with West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, Glasgow Rangers and Sheffield United.
Yesterday’s tributes underlined the regard with which Ehiogu was held. His own last posting on Twitter was to say how he had felt good after giving £10 to a homeless woman. His accompanying message, “Do something kind”, has been trending on Twitter.
Paul Merson was in tears on Sky Sports as he remembered his friend and former team-mate. “I’m devastated,” he said. “He was a man mountain. Only the good die young.”
England striker Harry Kane was among those Tottenham players mentored by Ehiogu. “He was a big part of our development team at Spurs and a big character around the place, full of life, always laughing and joking, always in good spirits,” said Kane. “He was a great coach and an inspiration to the younger players.”
Kyle Walker-Peters, who played under Ehiogu for Tottenham’s academy, wrote: “You were like a father figure to us all. Thank you for everything you’ve taught us on and off the pitch.”
Josh Onomah added: “More than just a coach. A father figure as well. Going to make you proud big man.”
Ehiogu’s own breakthrough as a player had come after moving to Villa under Ron Atkinson in 1991. “It is a complete shock,” said Atkinson yesterday. “He was a big physical specimen, a strong man. He developed into a centre-half who would have got a lot of England caps but for injury.”
Middlesbrough bought Ehiogu for a then-club record fee of £8 million in 2000. “Ugo was one of our heroes when the club won its only ever major trophy,” said Boro chairman Steve Gibson. “He wasn’t just a good footballer, he was a great man.” Alan Shearer was another England team-mate. “Lost for words; a true gentleman,” he wrote.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said that the news would impact on everyone associated with today’s FA Cup semi-final. “There will be a strange atmosphere [at Wembley],” he said. “When these type of situations happen, you start to think a lot of things. You think, for sure, ‘This could happen to me’. You reflect a lot about life and sometimes, think, to live life more, and not be angry for stupid problems because you don’t know if the day after you’ll stay here. We are very sad.”
Ehiogu’s death comes five years after Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup quarter-final at White Hart Lane. The former Bolton Wanderers midfielder recovered but was forced to retire.
Ehiogu had kept himself extremely fit following his playing career and it is understood that he was not coaching or playing when he collapsed. Ehiogu and his wife, Gemma, have two children, son Obi Jackson and daughter Jodie.
‘People would find it difficult to have anything bad to say about Ugo – he was a gentleman’