Former England and Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu has died aged 44, Tottenham Hotspur confirms. The Under-23’s coach was taken to hospital yesterday after suffering a heart attack.
It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Ugo Ehiogu, our Under-23 coach. pic.twitter.com/sSU0yqVfyk
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 21, 2017
The club’s head of coaching and player development, John McDermott said: ‘Words cannot express the shock and sadness that we all feel at the club. Ugo’s immense presence will be irreplaceable. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his wife Gemma and his family.’
The ex-West Brom, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Rangers and Sheffield United defender, Ehiogu was also a keen music fan. He set up the label Dirty Hit with Jamie Oborne and Brian Smith in 2009. On their current roster, you’ll find The 1975, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Wolf Alice, Fossil Collective and others.
In an interview for Sky Sports in 2010, he admitted: ‘Before a game I used to get psyched-up to a bit of Bon Jovi!’
Our thought are with his family.