Papa Bouba Diop, former Fulham, Portsmouth, and Senegal midfielder, dies aged 42

The 6ft 5in player, nicknamed ‘The Wardrobe’, scored the opening goal at the 2002 World Cup finals when Senegal upset reigning champions France 1-0. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

Former Senegal and Premier League midfielder Papa Bouba Diop has died at the age of 42, according to reports.

Diop, who arrived in England in 2004 when he joined Fulham from Lens and went on to play for Portsmouth and briefly West Ham and Birmingham, had been suffering with a long-term illness, according to reports in his homeland.