Jan 26, 2026, 12:30 PM
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Heading a football "likely" contributed to the brain injury which was a factor in the death of former Scotland defender Gordon McQueen, a coroner has found.
McQueen - who was capped for Scotland 30 times between 1974 and 1981, and played for both Manchester United and Leeds during a 16-year career -- died at his home in North Yorkshire in June 2023, aged 70.
Gordon McQueen died in 2023 aged 70 and a coroner has now found CTE as a likely factor. Evening Standard/Getty Images
The cause of death was pneumonia as he had become frail and bed-bound for months, the inquest in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, heard earlier this month.
That frailty was due to a combination of vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), coroner Jon Heath said.
The coroner gave a narrative conclusion on Monday, finding that McQueen died from pneumonia as a consequence of mixed vascular dementia and CTE.
He said: "It is likely that repetitive head impacts sustained by heading the ball while playing football contributed to the CTE."