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A flood of tributes has greeted the sad and shocking news that Cyrille Regis, the former West Brom and England striker, has died aged 59. Regis, who passed away following a cardiac arrest on Sunday, won the last of what should have been far more than five international caps in 1987, the year in which he also won the FA Cup with Coventry City. It was with Coventry and West Brom with whom Regis spent the lion’s share of a career that began with the striker earning £5-a-week at Surrey side Molesey to supplement the £20 he earned on building sites working as an apprentice electrician. Making sure to secure his ticket to work as a full-time “spark”, Regis promptly abandoned his trade to embark on a far more exciting one as a full-time professional footballer with Hayes, West Brom, Coventry, Aston Villa, Wolves, Wycombe and Chester City. His most prolific time as a striker was with West Brom, for whom he scored 112 goals in 297 appearances. He was awarded an MBE in 2008.

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