Craig Shakespeare dies aged 60 as tributes pour in for former Leicester manager
Craig Shakespeare has died aged 60
PA
Craig Shakespeare, the former Leicester, Aston Villa and Watford manager, has died aged 60 following a lengthy cancer battle.
Shakespeare had been assistant coach to Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri during the Foxes' odds-defying title-winning season in 2015/16 - and had taken the team to the Champions League quarter-finals a year later after taking the top job.
In a statement released by the League Managers' Association (LMA), his family wrote: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Craig Shakespeare, 'Shakey'.
"Craig passed away peacefully this morning at home surrounded by his family.
Shakespeare had been assistant coach to Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri during the Foxes' odds-defying title-winning season
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"Whilst the family are immensely proud of his footballing achievements as both a player and a coach, to us, his family, he will always primarily be a loving and loved husband, father, son, brother and uncle.
"The loss is devastating to us all and we would ask that privacy be given at this incredibly difficult time as we try to come to terms with, and mourn, the loss of a very special person.
"The family would like to thank and acknowledge the many prayers and good wishes sent during the past few difficult months, many of which we were unable to respond to but all meant a lot to Craig and the family."
The former Villa boss had been diagnosed with cancer last year.
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The Birmingham-born manager took Leicester past Sevilla in the Champions League
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But Martin O'Neill, fellow ex-Leicester manager and current LMA chairman, paid tribute to Shakespeare's accomplishments.
O'Neill said: "Craig's impact on the people he worked with was often spoken about by players, coaches and managers in the game.
"Not only because his knowledge of football and coaching was so strong, but also because his personality and warmth made people feel important and that Craig truly cared about their development and success.
"The role he played in the success of his teams should be celebrated, especially at Leicester City, who rightfully see Craig as a club stalwart who played a significant part of that unbelievable Premier League-winning season and many other wonderful times throughout his three spells at the club.
The boss took the Foxes to their best-ever European finish, narrowly missing out on a semi-final berth to Atletico Madrid
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"My thoughts and prayers are with Craig's family and loved ones at this awfully sad time."
An attacking midfielder in his playing days, Birmingham boy Shakespeare had made more than 500 league appearances between his stints at Walsall - where he signed as an apprentice - West Brom, and Grimsby.
It was in his penultimate year at the Saddlers where a 24-year-old Shakespeare reached what he later labelled his greatest achievement in football - helping Walsall reach Division Two.
He worked alongside a number of Premier League stalwart managers in his career, including Sam Allardyce - with whom he was a key part of the Everton and England coaching setups - as well as Nigel Pearson at Watford and Leicester, and Dean Smith at Aston Villa and Norwich.