Ex Nigeria England player Ugo Ehiogu dies after suffering cardiac arrest

Ugo Ehiogu, Ex England and Aston Villa footballer, who played as a defender has died at the age of 44 after suffering a cardiac arrest on Thursday at Tottenham Hotspur's training centre.

Before his demise, Ehiogu was Tottenham’s Under-23s coach.

In a statement, Tottenham’s head of coaching and 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."

Ehiogu had won the League Cup with Villa in 1994 and 1996, and also with Boro in 2004. Between 1991 and 2000 he made over 200 appearances for Villa and then went to Middlesbrough where he spent seven years.

Ehiogu who began coaching at Tottenham in 2014 also played for West Brom, Leeds, Rangers and Sheffield United, before his retirement in 2009. 

He was married to Gemma in 2005 and had two children - son Obi Jackson and daughter Jodie.

His formal club, Aston Villa, will hold a minute's applause before their Championship match against Birmingham City on Sunday. Both Villa and Birmingham players are to wear black armbands in Ehiogu’s honor.

Former Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who won the League Cup with Ehiogu, told BBC Radio 5 live that he can't comprehend Ugo's no longer alive.

"I can't fathom he's no longer here," he said.

"He was a tremendous person, a tremendous character, a dedicated footballer and dedicated to his family. He was a great guy to be around, so full of life and so enthusiastic.

"As a centre-back, I rate him right up there. He suffered from injuries throughout his career, but with more consistency he could have added to his England caps.

"He was very much a family man and it's such a shame to leave such a young family behind," Schwarzer added.

Also speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, his former Aston Villa team-mate Andy Townsend said: 

"He was a defender every team would like to have at the back. It's a life that is so tragically cut short and so sad.

"He was on the training field with the academy boys and would have stayed active. I saw him recently and he was a picture of health, which is why this come as such a huge shock."

Ugo Ehiogu was a co-founder at music label Dirty Hit, which has British indie band The 1975 on its records.

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