Emotional tributes have been paid to former Bradford City football star Dean Richards who has died aged 36.

The Bradford-born former centre- half, who started his career with the Bantams, was admitted to a hospice in Leeds last week after suffering from a long illness.

After retiring in 2005 due to ill health, Richards, who had also played for Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, returned to Valley Parade as a part-time coach.

Bradford City chairman Mark Lawn said a minute’s silence would be held in memory of the footballer at the team’s next home game against Rotherham on Tuesday, March 8.

Educated at Rhodesway school and a product of Bradford Boys, Richards was a home-grown success story. He played 102 times for City before joining Wolves for £1.85 million in May 1995.

And his affection for the club he was brought up watching never wavered. On one occasion, he even delayed a holiday to attend the All Stars match as part of the T&A Save Our City campaign. Mr Lawn said: “Dean Richards was the sort of man that anybody would want at their football club. On the pitch he was a hard-working player who gave everything for the club, off the pitch he was a very humble, intelligent human being.

“When he stopped playing football he came back to coach youth football before he became too ill to do so. The world will be worse off without him. He never forgot his roots and I would like to pass on condolences to his family from everyone at Bradford City.”

Richards moved from Bradford to Wolves in 1995, making 145 appearances for the Midlands club in a four-year spell and becoming a crowd favourite. Wolves boss Mick McCarthy said: “I can’t tell you how sad I feel for him and his family – 36 years of age. It is just devastating for them.

“He was a nice fella, and he is well remembered here. Anybody who dies at that age, it’s devastating.”

After watching his Motherwell side beat Celtic 2-0 yesterday, former City boss Stuart McCall revealed his sadness at hearing about Dean’s death.

“It is an absolute tragedy. I got a few texts telling me about the sad news. I didn't realise he had a long-standing illness and it came as a great shock.

“I had Dean in doing a little bit of coaching at Bradford a few years ago. He was a first-class professional as a player and a fantastic guy off the park. He will be greatly missed.”

Richards also spent two years at Southampton, who were then in the top flight, before switching to Spurs for £8.1 million. He made almost 350 appearances in a career spanning 13 years before being forced to retire at 30 in 2005 after suffering from dizzy spells and headaches.