According to Wikipedia records, there are 120 professional footballers who died while playing a game or directly from injuries sustained while playing or died after being taken ill on the pitch.
The first recorded death was on January 13, 1889, of William Cropper (26), an English footballer who played for Staveley FC. The latest death is that of former Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote, who died at just 30 years old.
With these in mind, let us look at other famous footballers who died on the pitch (in the last decade).
Enjoy below;
