• Gary Speed 1969-2011

McAllister saw no sign of Speed suicide

November 28, 2011
Gary McAllister played with Gary Speed at Leeds © Getty Images
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Gary McAllister said he "turned to jelly" when he discovered Gary Speed had died.

Speed died at his home on the outskirts of Chester on Sunday, with sources confirming he was found hanged.

McAllister played with Speed at Leeds, helping the team to the Football League title in 1992 - and the pair appeared together on television programme Football Focus on Saturday.

"Alan Shearer broke the news to me and it turned me to jelly," McAllister said on Sky Sports News. "I couldn't believe what he was saying. It shook me to the bones, I was in shock for most of the day.

"Twenty minutes before we went on air on Saturday, he was the normal Gary Speed to me. He was very excited about the prospects of the Welsh national team and was upbeat, looking class, immaculately presented. He was a movie star in my eyes.

"With no competitive Wales games until February we were talking about getting some golf organised. There were no signs, nothing to suggest he was troubled. He looked well and things are going well for him at the moment. I could never have thought that 10-12 hours after I saw him I'd be getting that news. It's a nightmare.

"After [Football Focus] he was talking with Alan and they were discussing some black tie charity event which was coming up in the near future. I couldn't see anything in Gary that suggested he was depressed or had any feeling of anxiety. He was just the Gary Speed that I know."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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