Ex-England, Chelsea Midfielder Ray Wilkins Dies At 61 After Cardiac Arrest; Tributes Pour In

Ray Wilkins, a former midfielder for England’s national team, Chelsea and Manchester United, died at age 61 on Wednesday after collapsing with cardiac arrest last week.

Ray Wilkins Death News

Wilkins had been treated in a south London hospital since Friday. The midfielder captained England on 10 occasions while winning 84 caps. Wilkins also played for top European clubs like AC Milan, Paris St-Germain and Queens Park Rangers during his 24-year career.

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Wilkins made his debut with Chelsea as a 17-year-old in October 1973 and was named captain at age 18. He then made his England debut in the Bicentennial Tournament against Italy in New York City in May 1976.

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The midfielder — who earned the nickname “Butch” during the early part of his career — played for Chelsea until 1979, when he signed with Manchester United for a fee of about £800,000 ($1.1 million at today’s rate).

Wilkins also drew attention for his conservative playing style and was even nicknamed “The Crab” by some after he became known for making sideways passes. However, many remembered him fondly and regarded him as a gentleman.

“I don’t know anybody that had a bad word to say about Ray – on or off the pitch,” said Wilkins’ former England teammate Terry Butcher. “He was just an absolute gentleman but also a fierce winner. It was an absolute pleasure and a real privilege to play with him. He was such a charismatic character, great in the dressing room, great on the pitch but he wanted football played the right way.”

After retiring with London-based club Leyton Orient in 1997, Wilkins began coaching several prominent teams. He managed Fulham for a year before serving as an assistant at Chelsea, Watford, and England’s U21 team, among others.

He briefly worked as an assistant with Aston Villa in 2015.

Former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, whom Wilkins worked under, praised his assistant in his book The Beautiful Games Of An Ordinary Genius. 

“Ray is one of those select few, always present, noble in spirit, a real blue blood,” Ancelotti wrote. “Chelsea flows in his veins… without him we wouldn’t have won a thing.”

Wilkins had been suffering from several health issues in recent years. He reportedly had ulcerative colitis, and had double bypass heart surgery in July 2017. He also underwent a five-week rehabilitation program in 2016 after being banned from driving for four years due to drunk-driving. Wilkins confessed to struggling with alcoholism.

Wilkins is survived by his wife Jackie, their two children and six grandchildren.

Here are more tributes to Wilkins:

“When Ray played with us you could immediately see that his technical ability to play the ball was phenomenal,” said England manager Gareth Southgate, who played with Wilkins at Crystal Palace. “In the modern game, those attributes would have been appreciated far more than they were at that time, so he really was a top, top player.”

“He would have been one of the earliest to go abroad and play in the Italian league. At the time, it was at a really high level so being able to transition into a club like AC Milan and be as popular as he was there speaks volumes for his ability. Ray was also an absolute gent – a class act.”

Former Man U manager Sir Alex Ferguson called Wilkins a “fantastic talent” and added: Ray always had a kind word and time for people.”

Frank Lampard, the former Chelsea midfielder who was coached by Wilkins, stated: “Ray was a great player and an even greater man. Full of kindness and humility, with impeccable manners at all times. He had respect and time for everyone and to me he was a mentor and a friend. I’m not sure they make them like Ray any more.”