Willie Young: Former Arsenal Defender Dies at 73 As Massive Tributes Pour In
- Premier League giants Arsenal have announced the death of the club's legendary defender
- The passing away came shortly after the death of former Arsenal and Nottingham Forest striker Colin Addison
- Fans have flooded social media to pay their last respect to the centre-back for his role in the club's triumph in the 70s
The football community have once again been left heartbroken following the passing away of a former defender on Friday afternoon, October 31.
The news broke through a message on the social media page of Arsenal, confirming the death of the Scottish centre-back who became a cult hero at Highbury.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal announce death of Willie Young
13-time English Premier League champions Arsenal announced the death of Willie Young to their fans.
In a tweet on X, the Gunners expressed deep sadness, mourning with his wife, Lynda and three children. The statement read:
"We are saddened to learn of the passing of former player Willie Young. Making 236 appearances and winning the FA Cup in 1979, the Scottish defender was a cult hero at Highbury.
"Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Willie.”
The news came a few hours after the club confirmed the passing of Colin Addison, deepening the sense of loss among supporters.
Willie Young brief football history
The Scottish player will be remembered for his no-nonsense defending at the backline during his playing days and one of the standout figures for Arsenal between the late 1970s and early 1980s.
According to Daily Mail, the defender started his professional career with Scottish side Aberdeen in 1969, before moving to north London in 1975 with Tottenham Hotspur.
Young spent two years with Spurs, scoring four goals in 59 appearances before joining Arsenal FC with his manager Terry Neill, where he became one of the fans' favourites.
Source: Getty Images
The former Aberdeen defender played a total of 236 matches for Arsenal, scoring 18 goals and providing five assists per Transfermarkt.
The former Scotland U23 star guided the Gunners to win the English FA Cup in 1979, after a thrilling 3-2 win against Manchester United, to become a cult hero at Highbury.
Young also played in the 1978 and 1980 FA Cup finals and played in the 1980 Cup Winners’ Cup final, where Arsenal narrowly lost to Valencia.
After spending four seasons with Arsenal, Young joined Nottingham Forest for £175,000 , making a handsome six-figure profit for the club in the process.
He also had a short stint with Norwich City, Brighton, and Darlington before retiring in 1984.
Young settled down with his wife in the Nottingham area, raising his family and running a pub for many years, per Arsenal's official website.
Legit.ng compiled touching tributes that trailed the announcement of Willie Young's death. Read them below:
@zaininho said:
"Met Willie once at the Emirates. Lovely man, Arsenal through and through. RIP🙏🏾"
@saraxafc wrote:
"First Colin Addison and now Willie Young. Sad day for The Arsenal. Rest in Glory🙏🏼."
.RIP Big Willie 🙏."
@jeremybradley49 added:
"Very sad news! Willie was one of my originals when I first started supporting our great club ❤️🤍."
Former England player is dead
Legit.ng earlier reported that tributes have continued to pour in for former England star Marvin Brown, who tragically passed away at the age of 42.
The former U16 and U17 striker succumbed to a rare type of cancer, having battled with a terminal ailment for some time.
Source: Legit.ng
