Former England and Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu has died at the age of 44 after suffering a cardiac arrest at Tottenham’s training centre on Thursday.
A Spurs statement said Ehiogu died in hospital in the early hours of Friday.
Ehiogu, who was Spurs’ Under-23s coach, was capped four times by England.
“Words cannot express the shock and sadness that we all feel at the club,” said Tottenham’s head of coaching and development John McDermott.
“Ugo’s immense presence will be irreplaceable.”
Ehiogu made over 200 appearances for Aston Villa between 1991 and 2000 and then spent seven years at Middlesbrough.
He won the League Cup with Villa in 1994 and 1996, and also with Boro in 2004.
The centre-back also played for West Brom, Leeds, Rangers and Sheffield United, before retiring in 2009. He began coaching at Tottenham in 2014.
Ehiogu was a co-founder of music label Dirty Hit, which has British indie band The 1975 on its books.
He married his wife, Gemma, in 2005. He had two children – son Obi Jackson and daughter Jodie.
Villa will hold a minute’s applause before their Championship match against Birmingham City on Sunday, with both sets of players to wear black armbands.
Meanwhile, Spurs’ reserve team game at Manchester United on Monday has been postponed.
And all of the club’s weekend academy matches have also been called off.
“I can’t fathom he’s no longer here,” former Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who won the League Cup with Ehiogu, told BBC Radio 5 live.
He added: “He was a tremendous person, a tremendous character, a dedicated footballer and dedicated to his family. He was a great guy to be around, so full of life and so enthusiastic.
“As a centre-back, I rate him right up there. He suffered from injuries throughout his career, but with more consistency he could have added to his England caps.
“He was very much a family man and it’s such a shame to leave such a young family behind.”
Former Aston Villa team-mate Andy Townsend told BBC Radio 5 live: “He was a defender every team would like to have at the back. It’s a life that is so tragically cut short and so sad.
“He was on the training field with the academy boys and would have stayed active. I saw him recently and he was a picture of health, which is why this come as such a huge shock.”
Middlesbrough bought Ehiogu for a then club record fee of £8m in 2000 and he became a mainstay of the defence alongside Gareth Southgate as Steve McClaren’s side won the League Cup.
“Ugo was one of our heroes at Cardiff when the club won its only ever major trophy, “said Boro chairman Steve Gibson.
“Ugo and Gareth Southgate were the rock on which Steve McClaren brought the club its best period in its history. He wasn’t just a good footballer, he was a great man.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce, who played for Manchester United against Ehiogu in the 1994 League Cup final, added: “I had so much admiration for him as a fellow centre-half.
“He was uncompromising, quick and gave his all every single week – he was a great defender. All the football world will be saddened.”
Football Association chairman Greg Clarke said: “A hugely popular figure across English football but particularly at Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, he was also close to many at Wembley and St George’s Park through his England connections – both as a player and as a coach.”
Source: BBC
