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Foe tributes pour in from England Posted: Thursday June 26, 2003 5:47 PMLONDON (AP) -- From former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp to fans of Manchester City, the tributes poured in for Marc-Vivian Foe, the Cameroon soccer star who died on Thursday at the Confederations Cup in Lyon. Foe, who played for both clubs, collapsed on the field near the end of Cameroon's 1-0 semifinal victory over Colombia and never regained consciousness. Harry Redknapp, the former West Ham manager who signed Foe for US$6.8 million and fielded the midfielder for 16 months at Upton Park, said the Cameroon star appeared such a physically strong player. "It's come as such a shock. He was such a powerful, strong man," said Redknapp, who now is in charge of Portsmouth. "Never have I seen someone in better physical condition than Marc. And you couldn't have met a nicer boy than him -- he was a fantastic person and not a nasty person. "Everybody at West Ham loved him and you only have to see the reactions of the French players tonight when they were lining up for the national anthems to see how popular he was in the game. "Everyone who came into contact with him would have loved the man. He was such a special person and a terrific footballer." Redknapp revealed that Foe was close to becoming a Manchester United player. "Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign him for Manchester United but he broke his leg the day before," the Portsmouth manager said. "I know Alex will be devastated. He spoke to him a lot over the last five or six years. Marc was a great young man. It's so sad." Manchester City hired Foe on loan from Lyon for the season just ended and manager Kevin Keegan hoped to make the deal permanent. "Manchester City Football Club are devastated to hear the tragic news of Marc Vivien Foe's death this evening," club chairman John Wardle said. "Whilst at City, Marc made an excellent contribution to our successful return to the Premiership and was very highly regarded by his fellow players. "He will be sadly missed by his team-mates, not just as a player but also as a friend. All of our thoughts are with his family at this time." The City fans were also stunned. "We are all absolutely shocked," said Dave Wallace, who edits the club fanzine. "There will be a lot of tributes from City fans. A lot of the crowd were dubious about him at first. But then he starting belting goals in from all over the place. "His pace was deceptive and I'd have been delighted if we had signed him for a couple of million." The English Football Association added its own message of condolence. "We are deeply shocked and saddened to hear the news of Marc-Vivien Foe's sudden death whilst playing for Cameroon in the Confederations Cup," said acting chief executive David Davies. "We offer our sincere sympathy and condolences to Marc-Vivien's family and friends. "A talented footballer, Marc-Vivien was a hugely popular and friendly person. He will be sadly missed throughout the game."
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