Tributes as Don Howe, footballer and coach, dies at 80

File photo dated 01-08-1966 of Don Howe, Arsenal PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Wednesday December 23, 2015. Former England defender and coach Don Howe has died, the Football Association has announced. See PA story SOCCER Howe. Photo credit should read PA Photos/PA Wire.

Howe won 23 caps for England and was in the backroom staff of managers Ron Greenwood, Sir Bobby Robson and Terry Venables. He was also a coach and later assistant manager at Leeds United in the early 1970s under Jimmy Armfield. He is also remembered for managing both the Gunners and the Baggies, as well as QPR and Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said: “It is terribly sad news and our thoughts are with Don’s family at this time.”

Howe was part of the Three Lions set-up for their two most successful tournaments in recent history, working with both Robson and Venables as they reached the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup and the 1996 European Championship.

Dyke added: “He is widely regarded as being in the vanguard of coaching in England and I know that his loss will be keenly felt amongst the coaching fraternity in particular and not least by Roy Hodgson, who was close to Don.

“He was a fine player - named as one of West Bromwich Albion’s finest - and, of course, he went on to play an integral part in Arsenal’s history as a coach and later as manager.”

Howe was involved with Arsenal for five decades, joining them as a player in 1964 and going on to be coach, assistant manager, caretaker manager and eventually manager in 1984.

He returned as youth team coach at the Gunners in 1997 before retiring in 2003.

Gunners chairman Sir Chips Keswick said: “Don possessed a marvellous ability to get the very best out of players with his coaching techniques and provide them with the perfect preparation for matches. He was the very best.”