Remembering Gary Speed: A Premier League legend

Gary Speed
(Image credit: PA)

Just before Gary Speed finally retired aged 40, having made almost 850 appearances in English football, the midfielder decided he needed another challenge. He was about to join the Sheffield United coaching staff, but that wasn’t enough for the all-action Welshman. So, he took up long-distance running, and in April 2010 entered the London Marathon to raise funds for the Sir Bobby Robson and John Hartson Foundations.

I spent a day with Gary at the Blades’ training ground in the build-up to the big race, and couldn’t understand how someone who claimed he wasn’t fit enough to play football should put himself through 26 miles of torture.

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