Former England captain Ray Wilkins, who had been battling ill-health for some time now, breathed his last on Wednesday and the who’s who of the footballing world posted tributes for the likeable 61-year-old, with likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Carlo Ancelotti all expressing their dismay at his passing.
Wilkins, who played for some of the best sides in Europe including Chelsea, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, had suffered a cardiac arrest on March 30 and had been subsequently placed into an induced coma.
In a statement issued via St George’s Hospital, Wilkins’ family said: “It is with great sadness we announce that Raymond Colin Wilkins passed away this morning.”
A former assistant first team coach at Chelsea, Wilkins was well-respected among his peers and many modern-day icons.
Carlo Anclelotti, who worked with Wilkins at Stamford Bridge, expressed:
Former Liverpool and England skipper Steven Gerrard:
RIP Ray Wilkins .. so sad .. great footballer and such a nice man
A post shared by Steven Gerrard (@stevengerrard) on
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand spoke of his admiration for a man whom he saw live on a number of occasions:
Wilkins’ former employers Chelsea issued a statement of their own:
Chelsea icon Frank Lampard put up a heartfelt post of his own:
A post shared by Frank Lampard (@franklampard) on
While Wikins played for a host of top sides over the course of a glittering career, perhaps his best spell came at Queens Park Rangers and the Championship side released a video of his highlights as they paid tribute:
Wilkins’last job in management had been at Championship side Aston Villa. He is survived by his wife Jackie and two children.
Wilkins spent a few seasons at Manchester United and the Red Devils posted on Instagram:
Former Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic, currently at Man United, posted: