Keegan leads Foe tributes

Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan has promised to do everything in his power to ease the pain for Marc-Vivien Foe’s distraught family.

Keegan was too upset by Foe’s death to comment last night as he attempted to come to terms with the loss of a player who inspired City to ninth place in the Premiership last season.

However, today he offered a heart-rending tribute to the Cameroon international, who collapsed during his country’s Confederations Cup semi-final with Colombia in Lyon last night and passed away despite frantic attempts to revive him.

“Marc was not only a special footballer but a very special person,” said the former England coach.

“You only have to look at the range of tributes that have come in to realise the regard and respect in which his fellow professionals held him.

“We will all miss his smile and his personality. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him and he was the ultimate professional loved by everyone in the dressing room and the boardroom.

“He never gave this club less than 100% and was a big factor in us finishing ninth in the table.

“He only missed two games all season and one of those was to be at the birth of his new baby. We are all distraught, especially Arthur Cox who loved Marco.

“Our hearts go out to Marco’s young family and Manchester City will do all we can for them at this terrible time.”

City are considering a number of ways of paying tribute to Foe, who was 28 at the time of his death.

Foe was hoping to secure a permanent move to City after a successful season-long loan from Lyon.

The club have announced they will ‘retire’ his number 23 shirt and there is also the possibility of a friendly with West Ham, the other Premiership side Foe played for during a career in which a broken leg denied him a dream move to Manchester United in 1998.

“I felt it was a privilege to work with him for the past year and we were still in the process of trying to negotiate a deal that would have made him a City player,” added Keegan.

“You perhaps had to get to know Marco a bit to fully enjoy his personality - certainly his dress sense – but he was universally liked. Everyone knows what a wonderful player he was but more than that he was a fine human being.

“I think the warmth of his fellow professionals, as witnessed by the reaction of the French players last night, says more than anything I can say about the love that surrounded Marco.

“I will never forget the day I blasted him for not looking me in the eye when I was telling him something and the knock on the door that followed a few minutes later when he informed that where he came from if you respected someone you didn’t look them in the eye.

“He had the ability to make us all smile and feel better. We will miss him.”

Former West Ham assistant manager Frank Lampard snr, one of the men who helped bring Foe to England, echoed Keegan’s sentiments.

Lampard told BBC Radio Five Live: “He was a fantastic lad. He came from a humble background and he was always concerned about his parents back home. He was a one-off. He never moved from his humble beginnings.

“All the lads got on with him. Marc settled marvellously at West Ham and had a terrific time. He was in his prime – the best player Cameroon has ever had.”

Foe’s former Hammers team-mate Julian Dicks joined in the chorus of warm tributes being paid to the Cameroon international.

The duo teamed up at Upton Park in the 1998/99 season, Foe’s first season with the Hammers and Dicks’ final campaign before injury forced him into retirement.

The former left-back told PA International: “It’s devastating news. He was still only a young lad and you don’t expect things to happen like that.

“I feel sorry for his family who must be shattered.”

Dicks revealed Foe’s fiery on-pitch persona did not transfer itself to the dressing room, even though he was a popular figure at the club.

“He was a quiet character and kept himself to himself, but he was also a guy you could have a laugh with at times,” said Dicks.

“I wouldn’t say he was overly serious, but he was entirely committed to his football career.

“He was such a great box-to-box player who’d score the odd goal.

“What I noticed above all was what a fit lad he was. He’d shine in training and out-run everyone in pre-season.

“He wasn’t the most gifted player of his generation, but he made the most of his talents,” said Dicks.

African football supremo Issa Hayatou added his condolences.

A statement from the Confederation Africaine de Football, the confederation of which Hayatou is president, read: “CAF president Issa Hayatou, who is terribly shocked by the tragic death of Marc-Vivien Foe, conveys his condolences to the family and friends, Cameroon FA, Manchester City Club, Africa and world football family.”