Graham Taylor dies aged 72

Former England manager Graham Taylor has died at the age of 72.

A statement from his family read: "With the greatest sadness, we have to announce that Graham passed away at his home early this morning of a suspected heart attack.

"The family are devastated by this sudden and totally unexpected loss."

During his playing career, Taylor played for both Grimsby Town and Lincoln City before he retired through injury in 1972.

He moved into management and won the Fourth Division title with Lincoln in 1976 but it was during his time at Watford that he made a name for himself.

In the space of five years he took Watford from the Fourth Division to the First and under his guidance the club finished runners-up in the First Division in 1983, while they reached the FA Cup final the following year.

He enjoyed further success at Aston Villa by leading the club to promotion in 1988, just a year after taking charge, and second place in the First Division in 1990.

It was that year that he was appointed manager of England, taking the Three Lions to the 1992 European Championships, only to miss out on the knockout stages. England's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup resulted in Taylor resigning from his position.

He returned to club management with Wolverhampton Wanderers in March 1994 but after just one season he was appointed Watford manager, guiding the club to the Premier League in 1999.

His final managerial job took him back to Aston Villa but he left at the end of the 2002-03 season.

Sir Elton John was owner of Watford during Taylor's time in charge and he has paid tribute to the former manager.

"I am deeply saddened and shocked to hear about Graham's passing," he wrote on Instagram. "He was like a brother to me. We shared an unbreakable bond since we first met.

"We went on an incredible journey together and it will stay with me forever. He took my beloved Watford from the depths of the lower leagues to unchartered territory and into Europe. We have become a leading English club because of his managerial wisdom and genius.

"This is a sad and dark day for Watford. The club and the town. We will cherish Graham and drown our sorrows in the many brilliant memories he gave us.

"I love you Graham. I will miss you very much.

"My thoughts go out to Rita, Joanne, Karen and the whole Taylor family."

A statement released by Aston Villa read: "Aston Villa Football Club are deeply saddened by news today of the death of our former manager Graham Taylor.

"Graham joined us from Watford in the summer of 1987 and set about transforming our fortunes following relegation to the old Second Division.

"With the addition of Paul McGrath and Kent Nielsen, we finished as [First Division] runners-up to Liverpool and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

"Unfortunately there was a price to pay – Taylor’s achievements brought him to the attention of the Football Association, who were looking for a replacement for Bobby Robson after the 1990 World Cup finals.

"When John Gregory left in January 2002, Taylor became the first Villa manager to be appointed for a second time, although that spell only lasted for one season.

"Graham will always have a place of honour in our history books for his achievements while at the helm. He will also be fondly remembered by staff at Bodymoor Heath and Villa Park who had the pleasure of working with him."

eir Sport channels are available across the eir Vision, Sky and Vodafone TV platforms as well as on the eir Sport app. All 6 channels in the eir Sport pack are available for free if you are a residential eir broadband customer.