Former Leicester City manager Craig Shakespeare has sadly passed away after a courageous fight against cancer.
Shakespeare, aged 60, was a highly regarded figure in English football, following a distinguished playing career.
As a midfielder, Shakespeare played for clubs including Walsall, Sheffield Wednesday, West Brom, and Grimsby from 1981 to 2000.
Transitioning into coaching, he held various positions at West Brom, Leicester City, Hull City, Everton, Watford, Aston Villa, and Norwich City. He was notably Claudio Ranieri’s assistant during Leicester’s extraordinary Premier League title win in 2016.
He later took over as manager at the King Power Stadium, marking his only permanent managerial role.
Craig Shakespeare has sadly passed away after a courageous fight against cancer
A statement from the League Managers Association, released on behalf of Shakespeare’s family, expressed their deep sadness: ‘It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of Craig Shakespeare, “SHAKEY”.
‘Craig passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by his family.
‘While the family is incredibly proud of his accomplishments in football both as a player and coach, to us, he will always be a loving husband, father, son, brother, and uncle.
‘This loss is devastating for us all, and we kindly request privacy during this extremely difficult period as we come to terms with and mourn the loss of such a special individual.’
Many of Shakespeare’s former clubs also paid tribute following his passing.
Everton stated: ‘Everton Football Club is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former coach Craig Shakespeare.
‘Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this immensely challenging time.’
Walsall expressed their condolences as well: ‘We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of former player Craig Shakespeare.’
‘Craig made more than 350 appearances for the Saddlers and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.’
‘Our thoughts are with Craig’s family and friends during this sorrowful time.’
Grimsby Town also shared a heartfelt tribute: ‘We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Mariner Craig Shakespeare.’
‘The talented midfielder played 121 times for Town, netting 10 goals from 1993 to 1997.’
‘Our thoughts are with Craig’s family and friends during this difficult period. Once a Mariner, always a Mariner.’
Shakespeare was particularly linked with Nigel Pearson, having worked with him at West Brom, Leicester, Hull, and Watford.
He also collaborated with Dean Smith at Aston Villa and Norwich and was part of Sam Allardyce’s team during his brief time as England manager.
Shakespeare played an instrumental role in Leicester’s Premier League success during the 2015-16 season and remained very popular among the club’s supporters.
Although his time as Leicester’s manager was brief—just eight months—he managed to win 11 of his 26 games before being replaced by Claude Puel.
He also had a short managerial stint with West Brom in 2006, leading the team to a 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace.
Last October, it was revealed that Shakespeare had been diagnosed with cancer; his latest role was as Smith’s assistant at Leicester in 2023.
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