Former Premier League footballer Chris Bart-Williams has died at the age of 49.
The ex-England under-21 international, who played for Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday, died on Monday in the US, where he had been working as a coach.
Tributes poured in from the world of football for the former midfielder, whose death was announced on the same day that ex-Forest and Wednesday player Trevor Francis died.
Francis was also manager at Sheffield Wednesday during Bart-Williams’ time at the club.
In a statement, Forest said they were “deeply saddened” to learn of Bart-Williams’ death, adding: “Our thoughts go out to Chris’ family and friends at this truly difficult time.”
Chris Bart-Williams also played for Charlton Athletic. Pic: Action Images / Andrew Couldridge
Sheffield Wednesday said: “Bart-Williams’ untimely passing mirrors that of his manager at Hillsborough, Trevor Francis, who also died on this, one of the darkest days in our long history.
“Our thoughts are with Chris’ and Trevor’s families and friends at this devastating time.”
The club announced they will hold a minute’s applause for both Bart-Williams and Francis ahead of their match with Doncaster on Tuesday evening.
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Former goalkeeper Mark Crossley, who played with Bart-Williams at Forest, said: “Devastating and I’m so upset to hear the news of Trevor Francis passing and my former teammate Chris Bart Williams, both so young, it is so sad , RIP Trevor and Chris.”
Former England international Chris Waddle, one of Bart-Williams’ teammates at Wednesday, called him “a good lad and a very talented footballer”.
Another former teammate, Mark Bright, described Bart-Williams as “a wonderfully gifted player, with a huge personality, and a very charismatic guy”.
“To know him was to love him. #RIPBartman,” he added.
Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1974, Bart-Williams began his career at Leyton Orient and went on to appear more than 150 times for Wednesday, including in the 1993 FA Cup final and replay – the same year the team also reached the League Cup final.
A hard-working, skilful midfielder, he moved to Forest for £2.5m in 1995 and went on to play for them 248 times.
Always popular with fans, he scored more than 50 goals in his senior career, including the one that secured promotion to the Premier League for Forest in 1998.
He later played for Charlton and Ipswich before moving into coaching in the US after he retired, initially working in women’s college football.
Bart-Williams represented England at Under-19, Under-21 and ‘B’ level.
Ipswich offered their condolences, posting: “The club is saddened to learn of the passing of former player Chris Bart-Williams. Once a Blue, always a Blue.”
In February last year, Florida-based Dade County announced Bart-Williams had been appointed as their head coach to oversee all their football programmes.