Former England Manager Graham Taylor Dies at Age 72

Former England boss Graham Taylor has died aged 72, it was confirmed on Thursday.

The news was relayed by PA Sport, with tributes coming in from his former employers:

BBC Sport shared a statement from Taylor's family:

Reaction to Taylor's death poured in on social media:

"

Completely shocked by news of Graham Taylor. Always held him in the very highest regard - the man who gave me my first @england cap. So sad.

— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) January 12, 2017"

Taylor, who spent his playing career at Grimsby Town and Lincoln City, went on to manage the latter along with two spells apiece at Watford—where he would later become chairman—and Aston Villa, as well as a stint at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He guided Watford and Villa to second in the English top flight in 1983 and 1990, respectively, and took the former to the FA Cup final in 1984. But it is his management of the Three Lions for which he will be best remembered.

After his controversial appointment in 1990, Taylor took England to the 1992 European Championships in Sweden but saw his side exit at the group stage having failed to beat the hosts, Denmark or France in their three games.

His controversial decision to take off Gary Lineker in what would be his final Three Lions appearance—preventing him from being able to equal Sir Bobby Charlton's then-record of 49 goals—was particularly unpopular, and combined with England's early exit, he was infamously branded as a "turnip" by The Sun.

Taylor's England career came to an end the following year, as the Three Lions failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, four years on from reaching the semi-finals at Italia '90.

Upon returning to club management after an unsuccessful spell with Wolves, he guided Watford to back-to-back promotions and into the Premier League, from which they were relegated the following season.

Chris Lobina/Getty Images

Taylor retired from management in 2001 with the Hornets back in Division One, briefly returning to the game for a short second stint with Villa between 2002 and 2003.

He then went on to become vice-president of hometown club Scunthorpe United—where he oversaw their promotion to the Championship in 2007—and returned to Watford in 2009 as a director and then the chairman, a position he held until 2012.

Two years later, the Hornets renamed the Rous Stand in his honour.