Dean Richards dead at 36

mike65

Sad news, ex Wolves, Soton, Spurs defender.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9408254.stm

Dean Richards, the former Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Wolves defender, has died at the age of 36.

When Richards moved from Saints to Spurs in 2001 in an £8.1m deal it was the highest amount paid for a player with no senior international caps.

Just four years after that record switch, he was forced to end his 13-year playing career because of illness.

Since 2007, Richards had been youth-team coach at hometown club Bradford City, where he began his career.

In 1995 Richards was signed by Wolves and four years later moved to then-Premiership side Southampton, who were managed by current Cardiff boss Dave Jones at the time.

Richards also impressed under Jones's successor Glenn Hoddle, who took the centre-half with him to White Hart Lane in 2001.

Richards was dogged by injury at Spurs, however, making 73 appearances in his four years in north London.

After suffering dizzy spells and headaches, Richards was advised it would be harmful to his health to continue playing and hung up his boots in March 2005.

He had initially been diagnosed with an inner ear infection and underwent a scan for a brain tumour, which came back negative.

Richards played for England's Under-21s on four occasions but did not win any caps at senior level.

TanG411

Terrible news.

Rip.

The Floyd p

Terrible to hear

RIP

monkey9

Very sad. That's no age at all!

bamboozling

A big bear of a man, with a big personality too. He'll be sorely missed from the game.

Paul Tergat

Pretty sickening to hear this as a Bradford lad. Not many people come out of the city to become a player and he was one of our best.

RIP Dean!

barbarians

May he rest in peace.

Nalz

We wre only talking about him in work, as one of the five Englishman men who cost over 7m and was never capped. Sad alright

BERBA

Very sad news.

RIP Dean

Peyton Manning

So sad, always remember what I think was his Spurs debut against United. Scored relatively early on in that game too.

RIP

yosemite_sam

Sad news

wandatowell

Always sad to see a young man die. RIP

partyndbs

:eek:

most high profile young english player in my lifetime to have died. soo sad

Very very sad news. A fine centre back and struck me as a down to earth gentleman in interviews


Reminiscent of Rocky Rocastle's death in 2001 (not condition wise but the fact he was so young).

RIP

Melion

Is there any word on what happened?

dahat

RIP................only 3 years older than me,shocking.

Fanny Cradock

Trilla wrote: »

We wre only talking about him in work, as one of the five Englishman men who cost over 7m and was never capped. Sad alright

"Former Tottenham and Wolves defender Dean Richards, whose £8.1m transfer to Spurs set a record for the highest amount paid for a player with no senior international caps, has died after a long-term illness."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/feb/26/bradford-tottenham-hotspur

Poor Dean. RIP.

monkey9

Tom_Brady wrote: »

So sad, always remember what I think was his Spurs debut against United. Scored relatively early on in that game too.

RIP

I was thinking that myself, the 3-5 match.

monkey9

Melion wrote: »

Is there any word on what happened?

It surely must be related to the illness that forced him to retire.

ctrl-alt-delete

No age at all,

Terribly sad,

R.I.P.

flahavaj

This is just shocking. So sad to see a young man taken in his prime.:(

Leiva

monkey9 wrote: »

It surely must be related to the illness that forced him to retire.

Which was ?

Paul Tergat

A struggling City side came back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 in the last minute. That was for you Dean!

My god, that is a shock.

RIP

Rikand

mixednuts wrote: »

Which was ?

Death

Richards died on 26 February 2011 after a long-term spell of chronic dizziness.[4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Richards_%28footballer%29

RIP

Dozen Wicked Words

Very sad that such a young man has died, and I would love to think it would give some modern footballers pause for thought, about what they have in life. Doubt it will though. RIP

Helix

dooferoaks wrote: »

Very sad that such a young man has died, and I would love to think it would give some modern footballers pause for thought, about what they have in life. Doubt it will though. RIP

if anything itll only serve to make them greedier and look for more money

irishtoffee

Terrible news may he Rest In Peace.

TheTosh

Good defender, had the potential to be one of the best but such a shame his career ended short but a bigger tragedy that he has passed away at a youg age

RIP Dean

ShamoBuc

shocking news


R.I.P.

Raffo69

Rest in Peace Deano

Chardee MacDennis

RIP, very sad news.