Ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Kinnear, who went on to manage Newcastle United, Wimbledon and Nottingham Forest, has died at the age of 77.
The Irishman - who left his final footballing post as Newcastle United's director of football in 2014 - was revealed to have been living with dementia in 2021, although the condition had affected him since 2015.
A statement from Kinnear's family announced that the 77-year-old had died surrounded by his loved ones on Sunday afternoon, nine years after his dementia diagnosis.
"We are sad to announce that Joe passed away peacefully this afternoon surrounded by his family," Kinnear's family said. "Joe, who was 77, had been suffering from dementia having been diagnosed in 2015.
"He will be remembered fondly by many - both as a player and a manager. His Wimbledon team finishing sixth in the 1993-94 Premier League was a phenomenal achievement."
Born in Dublin, Kinnear moved to England as an eight-year-old and began his footballing journey with St Albans City before joining Tottenham in 1965, where he forged a successful career as a defender.
The Irishman spent 10 years on the Tottenham books as a senior player, scoring two goals in 258 games for the Lilywhites in all tournaments and winning five major honours, including one FA Cup, one UEFA Cup, two League Cups and a Charity Shield.
Tottenham "deeply saddened" by Kinnear death
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former player, Joe Kinnear.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
The thoughts of everyone at the Club are with his family and friends at this incredibly sad time 🤍 pic.twitter.com/p22a3IOloK
Kinnear left Tottenham in 1975 and spent one year on the books at Brighton & Hove Albion before hanging up his boots, and he began his managerial career in Asia, taking charge of Sharjah FC as well as Nepal and India.
In 1987, Kinnear would return to England to take up the role of assistant manager at Doncaster Rovers, but he is most fondly remembered for his seven-year stint in charge of Wimbledon from 1992 to 1999.
During his time in the hotseat, Kinnear's Wimbledon side defied the odds to finish sixth in the 1993-94 Premier League, which saw him win the LMA Manager of the Year award after claiming three Manager of the Month prizes in the same season.
Kinnear achieved another couple of top-half Premier League finishes with Wimbledon before stepping down at the end of the 1998-99 season, a few months on from suffering a heart attack, and he subsequently spent two years on the Luton Town books from 2001 to 2003.
The Hatters were promoted to the Second Division in the 2001-02 season with Kinnear in charge, and the Irishman was in charge of Nottingham Forest for a brief period in 2004 before also stepping into the Newcastle United dugout in 2008 as Kevin Keegan's replacement.
Kinnear was only in charge for 18 games, though, leaving in 2009 after needing a heart bypass operation, with Alan Shearer taking the Newcastle reins for the rest of the season.
Internationally, Kinnear earned 25 caps for the senior Republic of Ireland team in friendlies, Euros and World Cup qualifiers, starting in a 2-1 win over France during qualification for the 1974 World Cup.
Ben Knapton
