Ugo Ehiogu: A man whose humility and character shone through

At midday on 21 April of every year since 2017 Tottenham Hotspur's training ground hosts a gathering to mark the anniversary of former Spurs academy coach Ugo Eghiogu, who died of a heart condition aged 44.

But while the occasion offers an opportunity for academy staff and players, plus Ugo's former team-mates and colleagues to share their own memories and personal stories, it is testament to the impact and influence he had on so many to this day.

Growing up in the inner London borough of Hackney, Ugo played youth football for local team Senrab FC - which also produced players including Jermain Defoe, Ledley King and John Terry - before joining the academy at West Bromwich Albion, where he eventually turned professional.

A central defender, he made two substitute appearances for Albion before joining Aston Villa in 1991, going on to help them finish second in the 1992/93 Premier League campaign, as well as winning the EFL Cup in 1993/94 and 1995/96. He picked up the first of four full England caps as a result. Ugo was also the first black player to captain England Under-21s, doing so in 1993.

Ugo continued to flourish at his next club, Middlesbrough, playing a pivotal role as they won the first major trophy in their history - the 2004 EFL Cup - and also reached the 2005/06 UEFA Cup final. 

At Boro Ugo struck up a firm friendship with Gareth Southgate, who started as a team-mate and later became his manager.

It was Ugo's humility and character as a man, not just a footballer, that stood out, as Southgate explains.

"He retained very strong community values, which he picked up from his family," he told The Guardian. "The last message he tweeted was about giving £10 to a homeless girl in Hackney. It seemed like a random act of kindness but it wasn’t random. It was the way he lived his life."

Ugo's playing career took him from Boro to clubs including Rangers and Sheffield United before he was appointed as Spurs' development squad coach in 2014.

There he worked "selflessly, diligently and enthusiastically", playing a key role in the development of young players such as Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga.

Ugo recognised that only a small percentage of aspiring young footballers would go on to reach the Premier League; his role was not on-field coaching, but ensuring that there was a back-up plan.

Described as "a coach in the true sense of the word - a developer and pusher of those around him" - Ugo's legacy lives on today.

Named in his honour, the Ugo Ehiogu Mini Pitch at Seven Sisters Primary School in Haringey, North London, opened in May 2019 after investment from the Premier League, The FA and Government via the Football Foundation. Partnership funding came from Seven Sisters Primary School and Side-On, the charity set up in Ugo’s memory.

In November 2021 the Premier League provided the site with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), ensuring that those who use the facilities throughout the week have access to life-saving equipment.

"We always judge sports people, and footballers in particular, by the games they play, what trophies they win," added Southgate in a tribute to his former team-mate. "But in the end we’re all judged as people and what was clear from the tributes across the game was the respect for Ugo as a person, his nature, his humility and his values."

Ugo Ehiogu's legacy speaks for itself.