Former player and manager Graham Taylor has died at the age of 72.

Taylor enjoyed spells as a player at Grimsby Town and Lincoln City throughout the 1960s before turning to management with the latter in 1972.

He went on to coach the likes of Watford and Aston Villa, guiding both to runners-up spots in the old First Division, and notably led England for three years between 1990 and 1993.

Taylor eventually retired as a coach in 2003 and went on to become chairman at Watford – a position he held until 2012.

A family statement said: “With the greatest sadness, we have to announce that Graham passed away at his home early this morning of a suspected heart attack.

“The family are devastated by this sudden and totally unexpected loss.”

One of his former England players, Alan Shearer, was among the first to pay tribute.

Shearer tweeted: “Completely shocked by news of Graham Taylor. Always held him in the very highest regard – the man who gave me my first England cap. So sad.”

The Football Association and the League Managers Association also offered their condolences.

Taylor is unveiled as the new England manager at FA headquarters on 16 July, 1990 (Getty)

The FA tweeted: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former England manager Graham Taylor.”

A tweet from the LMA, which Taylor served as president, read: “The LMA is deeply saddened to hear that former England Manager & the first President of the LMA Graham Taylor OBE has died at the age of 72.”

As a club manager, Taylor led Watford from the Fourth Division to runners-up in the First Division in the space of five years and helped guide the side to the final of the 1984 FA Cup.

After leaving the Hornets in 1987, Taylor took charge at Villa following their relegation from the First Division and quickly restored them to the top flight at the first attempt. Two years after that, in 1990, they finished league runners-up to Liverpool.

That achievement was instrumental in securing him the England position.

But Taylor endured a difficult time in charge of the national team, with criticism about his perceived long-ball game.

Taylor pictured during his second stint as Watford manager in May of 1997 (Getty)

Under his leadership England qualified for Euro 92 in Sweden but the tournament proved to be a tough one for the team and their manager.

The side failed to get out of their group and Taylor also substituted Gary Lineker, in the final group game when a goal was needed, in what proved to be the striker’s final game for England.

Taylor kept his job, but failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States led to his eventual resignation in November 1993.

Former England international Peter Shilton, who worked as goalkeeping coach in Taylor's backroom staff with the national team, said: “The way he came through from the grassroots at Lincoln all the way to the England job, mark him out as a real football man and I always liked and respected him.

“He had his own style, of course, but he really knew and loved the game and I enjoyed working with him. He was a true football man.”

After retiring from management in 2003, the former manager took on a number of roles within the world of football, including punditry work for BBC Radio’s Five Live.