Terry Yorath joined Tottenham Hotspur from Coventry City in 1979 and made 46 league appearances, scoring once from midfield, before leaving Spurs for Vancouver Whitecaps
The former Tottenham Hotspur player Terry Yorath has died aged 75 after a brief illness. Yorath was the father of BBC broadcaster Gabby Logan, who had to leave Wednesday's Match of the Day programme mid-show due to a family emergency.
In a heartfelt statement, his children paid tribute: "To most he was a revered footballing hero, but to us he was Dad; a quiet, kind and gentle man. Our hearts are broken, but we take comfort knowing that he will be reunited with our brother, Daniel."
His son Daniel died in 1992 from a genetic heart condition at just 15 years of age. Alongside Gabby, Yorath leaves behind children Louise and Jordan, as well as grandchildren Reuben, Lois, Mila, Phoenix and Paloma.
During his international career, Yorath earned 59 caps for Wales, skippering his nation on 41 occasions. The Cardiff native made 199 appearances for Leeds United, where he began his professional journey in 1967, spending nine years at Elland Road.
Yorath secured the First Division championship with the West Yorkshire outfit in 1974, whilst also reaching the finals of the FA Cup, European Cup and Cup Winners' Cup. The midfield stalwart subsequently represented Coventry City, Tottenham, Vancouver Whitecaps, Bradford City and Swansea City.
He joined Spurs from Coventry City in 1979 for £300,000. He made 46 league appearances, scoring once from midfield, across two years at the club before moving to Vancouver.
Following his playing days, Yorath moved into coaching and management. His managerial career saw him take the helm at Swansea, Wales, Bradford, Cardiff, Lebanon, Sheffield Wednesday and Margate.
Yorath came agonisingly close to steering Wales to qualification for the 1994 World Cup, missing out by a single match. He also successfully guided Swansea to promotion to the Third Division in 1988.
He held the position of player-coach at Bradford and was assistant coach on the tragic day of the Valley Parade fire in 1985. A total of 56 fans died, while 270 were injured.
Gabby had to abruptly halt her presenting of Match of the Day during its live broadcast on Wednesday night. Mark Chapman, hastily stepping in from the radio studio at the BBC's headquarters in Salford Quays, had to fill in for her.
She had introduced the second match of the evening, Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, before departing whilst the highlights were airing.
Addressing the sudden change, Chapman stated: "We'll talk about that game in just a moment. Sadly, Gabby has a family emergency which she's had to rush off and deal with, so she's gone to do that, and I've come from the radio to finish the show."