Former England Manager Graham Taylor Dies At 72

Former Aston Villa, Watford and England manager Graham Taylor has died of a suspected heart attack. He was 72.

Taylor is best known for managing England in the 1992 Euros, in which England failed to get out of their group, and throughout qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. He also led Watford from the fourth division to the first division in just five years and made the 1984 FA Cup final.

Former Watford owner Sir Elton John paid tribute to his late friend on Instagram:

I am deeply saddened and shocked to hear about Graham's passing. He was like a brother to me. We shared an unbreakable bond since we first met. We went on an incredible journey together and it will stay with me forever. He took my beloved Watford from the depths of the lower leagues to unchartered territory and into Europe. We have become a leading English club because of his managerial wisdom and genius. This is a sad and dark day for Watford. The club and the town. We will cherish Graham and drown our sorrows in the many brilliant memories he gave us. I love you Graham. I will miss you very much. My thoughts go out to Rita, Joanne, Karen and the whole Taylor family. @watfordfcofficial #GrahamTaylor #RIP

A photo posted by Elton John (@eltonjohn) on Jan 12, 2017 at 6:00am PST

Many others paid tribute on Twitter.

A tribute to the late Graham Taylor, from @England manager @GarethSouthgate: https://t.co/mg1WTXGj4F

— The FA (@FA) January 12, 2017

Rest in peace, Graham.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/jt4zFLTPRi

— England (@England) January 12, 2017

Everyone at #watfordfc is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our most successful manager. We love you, Graham Taylor. #thankyouGT

— Watford FC (@WatfordFC) January 12, 2017