Sol Bamba was a colossus on the pitch and a beacon of humanity in private

The tributes following his death at 39 have spoken for themselves: a mark of the man as much as the player.

2015: Leeds United's Sol Bamba in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and Leeds United. Pic: Richard Sellers/Getty Images

It’s not often journalists are invited into football players’ promotion parties but Sol Bamba made a beeline for me.

It was May 2018 and Cardiff City had just made history, promoted to the Premier League in Bamba’s first full season at the club. He had just helped the Bluebirds grind out a draw at home with Reading, which was enough to seal second place in the Championship and spark wild celebrations across the city.