Former Everton player Gary Speed's father, Roger Speed, has died
Roger Speed applauds the Goodison Park crowd in 2011 ahead of Everton's game with Stoke City as tributes were paid to his late son Gary
Roger Speed applauds the Goodison Park crowd in 2011 ahead of Everton's game with Stoke City as tributes were paid to his late son Gary
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Roger Speed, the father of the late former Everton player Gary Speed, has died.
Cymru Premier club Connah’s Quay Nomads announced on X (formerly Twitter) at 10:30am on March 11: “It is with great sadness that the club has overnight learned of the passing of the great Roger Speed who was an Honorary Patron to the club and long time supporter as well as the father of legendary Welsh player and Manager, Gary Speed – our thoughts are with Carol and the rest of Roger’s family at this time.”
Gary who won the League Championship with Leeds United in 1992, played 65 games and scored 18 goals for his boyhood Everton – including the only hat-trick of his career in a 7-1 win over Southampton – between 1996-98.
A left-sided midfielder, he played 841 matches at club level and scored 135 goals, winning 85 caps and netting seven times for Wales.
Born in Mancot, Gary was manager of the Welsh national team at the time of his death aged 42 in 2011.
Everton unveiled a talking bench by Hill Dickinson Stadium in his memory last November ahead of their game against Newcastle United, the club he left them to join.
Gary’s mother Carol was present to lay a bouquet of flowers and said: “I think it’s a fantastic idea. We didn’t know that Gary was struggling, people don’t always know what’s going on in people’s minds.
“It was 14 years on Thursday since he left us, and social media was full of people remembering him and it was really amazing. We thought he was a legend, but we didn’t realise that so many others also felt that.
“My story was that I didn’t know. It’s so important just to tell somebody.
“I wished we’d have known how he was feeling. He always had a big smile on his face.”
Carol also revealed that her son’s lifelong allegiance to the Blues was in contrast to his father’s leanings.
The only member of the family to be born in Wales – his parents, sister and own sons were all born across the border in the English city of Chester – Gary was also Everton and Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe’s paperboy as a youngster.
His mother said: “Gary was always an Everton supporter as a child – because his dad was Liverpool!
“I’m very proud of him, for what he did. It’s not the years in your life but the life in years and he lived it to the full.”