Wife found Speed's body, inquest told

29 November 2011 16:48

Wales football manager Gary Speed was found hanged at his home by his wife, an inquest was told on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old father-of-two was found dead at his home in Cheshire, north-west England, early on Sunday morning.

Detective Inspector Peter Lawless, of Cheshire Police, told Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg at a hearing in Warrington that Speed's body was found by his wife Louise just before 7am (0700 GMT).

He added there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances and a post mortem examination found Speed's death was caused by hanging.

"I adjourn this inquest until January 30, 2012. The inquest will be heard in Warrington and will commence at 2pm (1400GMT)."

Speed's death left the world of football stunned, with former team-mates and fellow managers at a loss to explain why he, according to police sources, had killed himself.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given, a former Newcastle colleague of Speed's, had been reduced to tears during a minute's silence in Speed's memory before his club's Premier League match at Swansea on Sunday.

England star David Beckham praised Speed's career.

"I think he was an amazing, talented player, a player that had such a glittering career and just began a great career in management as well," Beckham told media in Jakarta, where his LA Galaxy team are playing this week.

"On behalf of myself, the players, the manager and everybody at the Galaxy we'd like to send our love and thoughts to his wife, his children and his family. It is a sad time to lose a man like this."

Former Celtic and Southampton manager Gordon Strachan was a midfield colleague of Speed's in the successful Leeds team of the early 1990s -- they won the last ever First Division championship in 1992 -- and he admitted he was proud to have known the Wales coach.

"People have problems in footy where you have an indication that something is wrong, but this one is right out of the blue," he said.

"I trained beside him for six years at Leeds and I was proud of Gary Speed every time I saw him play or train."

Earlier Tuesday, members of the Welsh Assembly observed a minute's silence and on Monday Speed's agent and best man at his wedding, Hayden Evans, said the family had been "overwhelmed" with messages of support and condolence.

Among those who've paid tribute to the former Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle and Bolton midfielder are British Prime Minister David Cameron.

"I know he meant an enormous amount to people and people feel very, very sad on his behalf and on his family's behalf," Cameron said.

Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, one of the stars in a promising Wales squad, said Speed's death was a "massive shock".

"It is a tragedy, everyone still can't get their head around it and all our condolences go out to his family and his kids. It is a hard time," Bale told www.tottenhamhotspur.com

Source: AFP