Former Ipswich player Chris Bart-Williams dies aged 49
"Once a Blue, always a Blue"
Former Ipswich Town midfielder Chris Bart-Williams has died aged 49.
He also played for clubs including Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and Charlton.
Wednesday announced the news, saying he died in the United States, where he was a mentor and a coach.
The Blues paid tribute to him on Twitter, saying they were saddened to learn of his passing.
Sierra Leone-born Bart-Williams, who began his career as a trainee at Leyton Orient, made more than 150 appearances for Wednesday, for whom he played in the Premier League as a teenager, before earning a £2.5million move to Forest in July 1995.
He played 248 games for Forest and later had spells with Charlton and Ipswich before moving into coaching in the United States following his retirement as a player, initially working in women's college football.
"Coach, college recruiter, former footballer"
Describing himself on his social media accounts as "coach, college recruiter, former footballer", Bart-Williams was owner and chief executive officer of US College Soccer recruiting agency CBW Soccer Elite, working with college-bound players.
His LinkedIn profile reads: "As a retired athlete with 35 years of international playing and coaching experience, I'm passionate about developing young adults into highly successful soccer players.
"Empower kids"
"My goal is to empower kids to have the confidence and technical ability to excel in soccer while learning valuable lessons in responsibility and teamwork that will prepare them for a lifetime of success.
"Everything I do is designed to maximize athletes' unique potential and propel them to their personal best in soccer and in life."
In February last year, Florida-based Dade County announced Bart-Williams had been appointed as its head coach to oversee all its football programmes.
News of his death was greeted with shock by former team-mate Mark Crossley.
The goalkeeper, who played with Bart-Williams at Forest, said on social media: "Devastating and I'm so upset to hear the news of Trevor Francis passing and my former team mate Chris Bart Williams, both so young, it is so sad , RIP Trevor and Chris."