Former Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest midfielder Chris Bart-Williams has died on the age of 49, Sheffield Wednesday has introduced.
The membership stated he died within the US the place he was a mentor and a coach.
“Bart-Williams’ premature passing mirrors that of his supervisor at Hillsborough Trevor Francis, who additionally died on this, one of many darkest days in our lengthy historical past,” an announcement from the membership stated.
“Our ideas are with Chris’ and Trevor’s households and pals at this devastating time.”
The information got here because the Owls and Forest had been coming to phrases with the dying of former striker Trevor Francis, who was 69.
Sierra Leone-born Bart-Williams, who started his profession as a trainee at Leyton Orient, made greater than 150 appearances for Wednesday, for whom he performed within the Premier League as a youngster, earlier than incomes a £2.5million transfer to the Metropolis Floor in July 1995.
He performed 248 video games for Forest and later had spells with Charlton and Ipswich earlier than shifting into teaching in america following his retirement as a participant, initially working in girls’s school soccer.
Describing himself on his social media accounts as “coach, school recruiter, former footballer”, Bart-Williams was proprietor and chief govt officer of US School Soccer recruiting company CBW Soccer Elite, working with college-bound gamers.
His LinkedIn profile reads: “As a retired athlete with 35 years of worldwide enjoying and training expertise, I’m keen about growing younger adults into extremely profitable soccer gamers.
“My aim is to empower youngsters to have the arrogance and technical capacity to excel in soccer whereas studying priceless classes in duty and teamwork that may put together them for a lifetime of success. The whole lot I do is designed to maximise athletes’ distinctive potential and propel them to their private greatest in soccer and in life.”
In February final 12 months, Florida-based Dade County introduced Bart-Williams had been appointed as its head coach to supervise all its soccer programmes.
Information of his dying was greeted with shock by former team-mate Mark Crossley.
The goalkeeper, who performed with Bart-Williams at Forest, tweeted: “Devastating and I’m so upset to listen to the information of Trevor Francis passing and my former staff mate Chris Bart Williams, each so younger, it’s so unhappy , RIP Trevor and Chris.”
Ipswich additionally provided their condolences, posting: “The membership is saddened to be taught of the passing of former participant Chris Bart-Williams. As soon as a Blue, all the time a Blue.”
