Former England manager Graham Taylor dies aged 72
The footballer manager who also managed Watford and led them to the FA Cup final in 1984 has passed away, his family confirm
Former England manager Graham Taylor has died aged 72.
The former player and manager, who also worked as a pundit for the BBC, passed away at his home early this morning of a suspected heart attack, according to a statement from his family.
"The family are devastated by this sudden and totally unexpected loss," the statement said.
Taylor's career also saw him manage Aston Villa, Watford, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Lincoln City, before turning to punditry in 2003 while working as vice-president of his hometown club Scunthorpe United.
He guided England's national side from 1990 until 1993, although his international tenure ended after his side failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.
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A documentary shown on Channel 4, Graham Taylor: An Impossible Job, charted his troubled reign. In 2013, Taylor recalled his time on the touchline during the final qualifier against the Netherlands, when Dutch player Ronald Koeman scored the winner after he controversially was not sent off for an earlier challenge.
"I lost the plot because I honestly and truthfully felt that England were being cheated in a vital game for the country," he told BBC Sport.
"That was the worst I've ever been on a touchline. I'd never been like that before. But that is the one time I end up on film, so that's what people remember."
Former players and colleagues paid tribute to Taylor on Twitter, with BBC broadcaster Mark Chapman saying he "always had time for people, a smile on his face and a love of football".
