'Foe was just a beast' - Wright-Phillips remembers ex-Manchester City teammate

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The late Citizens star tragically died 17 years ago while on national duty at the Fifa Confederations Cup

Ex-England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has described his former Manchester City teammate Marc-Vivien Foe as “the most amazing man” he met as he pays tribute to the fallen Cameroon legend.

Foe collapsed and died of a heart defect during a Fifa Confederations Cup semi-final match between Cameroon and Colombia on June 26, 2003.

Prior to his sudden death at the age of 28, the former midfielder had spent a season at City while on loan from Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon.

“He was the most amazing man I met as a young lad growing up,” Wright-Phillips told the official Manchester City website.

“He was so soft, humble, and whenever I needed help or a bit of guidance, he was one of the people that was always there for me.

"And as a player, he was just a beast. He was a big unit, he carried himself well, tackled, and he played good football. You could see that he was moving onto the next level.”

City have since retired the number 23 shirt Foe wore during his brief spell at the club, which was his second Premier League home, having previously spent one and a half-seasons at West Ham United.

Another former teammate of Foe at City, Kevin Horlock, remembered the former Lens midfielder as a player who brightened the Citizens' dressing room with his beaming smile.

"He was a great athlete, a great footballer and even more than that, a great bloke. He was a fair, old size and he covered every blade of grass,” said Horlock.

"He did a lot of my running and he took some stopping. He was one of those players who gave everything and the fans loved that and so did the players.

"I don't think I have ever seen a picture of him where he doesn't have a big smile on his face. He made the changing room a better place."

Despite Foe lasting 73 minutes during that fateful match against Colombia, Cameroon went on to edge the South Americans 1-0 to qualify for the final of the Confederations Cup.

The death of Foe attracted global sympathy and Cameroon went on to lose 1-0 to hosts France after extra time of an emotional encounter.

2020-06-27 18:00:05

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