Ipswich legend Paul Mariner dies, aged 68: Tributes paid to ‘all-round’ England striker who starred in iconic UEFA Cup triumph
Former Ipswich and England striker Paul Mariner has died, aged 68.
Mariner scored 139 goals in 339 games for Ipswich and was a member of their FA Cup winning side of 1978 and the team that won the UEFA Cup in 1981, alongside talkSPORT host Alan Brazil.
He also earned 35 caps for England scored 13 times for his country.
A tweet from Ipswich read: "We are devastated to hear the news of the passing of Town legend Paul Mariner at the age of 68. The thoughts of everyone at #itfc are with Paul's family and friends at this sad time."
It was reported last year that Mariner, whose other clubs included Plymouth, Arsenal and Portsmouth, had undergone surgery on a brain tumour.
A tweet from the England team's account read: "We're sad to have learned that Paul Mariner, who made 35 appearances for the #ThreeLions , has passed away at the age of 68.
"Mariner represented England between 1977 and 1985, scoring 13 goals. Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family, friends and former clubs."
A statement from Mariner's family, posted on his Twitter account, read: "We regretfully inform you that Paul passed away peacefully on the 9th of July surrounded by his family, after a brief battle with brain cancer.
"We would like to thank all the people who came to see him through his illness for their support and the messages that were sent to him, they meat a great deal to him and us.
"A special thank you must go to the NHS and the unbelievable care that he received when he most needed it and for that we, as a family, will be forever in your debt.
"Paul lived a full life and was fortunate enough to represent a group of fantastic football clubs as well as his country, all of which meant the world to him.
"Anyone who knew Paul will attest to his fantastic sense of humour, his passion for life and his work. He will be sorely missed by everyone who was ever around him and by those most close to him."
Reacting to Mariner's death on Weekend Sports Breakfast, former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino said: "He had very much an all-round game. He led the line and he was very strong in the air.
"In that particular time in football you'd have a huge amount of centre forwards that were dominant aerially, but not all of them were gifted in other areas of the pitch as in bringing other players into play with their feet, using their movement.
"He was quite a versatile striker. He always had a partner and he was always the [John] Toshack to [Kevin] Keegan.
"I'm going back a long way, the big guy and the smaller No.10 running round and being a partner to the other striker.
"He was a more rounded player than just a big centre forward."
And marvelbet369.commentator Nigel Adderley echoed Cascarino's thoughts about the 'all-round' striker, whom he worked with in the media following his retirement from professional football.
He added: "He was an all-round centre forward and he was a great player in his time.
"He was somebody who worked their way up from non-league forward.
"It's something that is very appropriate this weekend of all weekends when we've been discussing the background of the England players featuring in the Euros final tomorrow.
"I worked with him after his career doing media and he became a great friend. He had a fantastic personality and it's just really really sad.
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"I'm sure he would have loved to have been at Wembley this weekend supporting the team because he was a great English player and a great Englishman.
"He was very supportive of the side for many, many years and I'm sure that a lot of people at the clubs they he played at will be very sad."