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Tragic Gary Speed smiles broadly with a fan in the last picture taken of him before he was found dead.

Speed, 42, appeared in good spirits as he posed for photos outside the BBC studios in Manchester where he filmed Saturday's Football Focus.

Just hours later the Wales manager's wife found him hanged at their family home.

Glowing tributes continued to pour in for footballer Gary Speed today as supporters of the teams he played for left messages, flowers, shirts and scarfs outside grounds.

Newcastle fans pay tribute outside St.James' Park

Managers and fellow players spoke warmly of a sportsman who was the epitome of professionalism on the pitch and a great bloke off it.

Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, said "a light has gone out in the football world".

"I've never known of such grief and loss," he told Sky Sports News.

"He was so popular, so friendly and I never heard a bad word about him. A real light has gone out in the football world.

"He was a great legend of a player and every time I saw him he had a smile. It's terribly sad on behalf of everyone. He was one of our finest ever members, our sincere thoughts and condolences to his wife and sons."

Gordon Taylor

He added: "There will be an overwhelming sense that we want do something together to show how loved and regarded he was in the football world," Taylor added.

"Everywhere he went he was surrounded by friends. There is a terrible sense of loss."

Sam Allardyce

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce also paid tribute to Speed, both as a player and a person.

"I was fortunate to take Gary to Bolton," Allardyce told BBC Radio Five Live. "At that stage he was a young 34 and most people were saying he was getting past it, but in actual fact his stats were absolutely outstanding.

"As soon as he walked into the club he had an aura. He did everything to detail. When generally an old professional might moan and groan and say 'I don't want to do this' he just took it on board.

"I was also fortunate to get to know him as a person. He was an outstanding individual and this is what's devastating.

"His life was about standards, he had a high standard for everything that he did. To sum it up, if you had a daughter and she brought Gary Speed home you'd be delighted."

Football Association of Wales chief executive Jonathan Ford hailed Speed's influence on the national team since becoming manager in December last year.

"When we went through the selection process Gary wasn't necessarily the most experienced manager there, but he had some fantastic qualities," Ford said.

"He was a true professional, a fantastic gentleman and he got the players where they wanted to be, they wanted to play for him and it wasn't just players - it was the fans, the staff, everybody around him. It's such a sad loss.

"I was with him at the draw (for World Cup qualifying) and we looked at each other when each of those teams came out and agreed every one of those matches was winnable.

"The future was bright, the last few games were packed with positivity. We were on a roll and there was a great optimism about the place that the team had a fantastic opportunity to qualify for 2014."

(Image: Getty)

Gordon Strachan

Gordon Strachan, who starred alongside Speed, Gary McAllister and David Batty in a Leeds midfield which was the foundation of a 1991-92 first division title win, said he was stunned by the news.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "People have problems in footy where you have an indication that something is wrong, but this one is right out of the blue.

"I trained beside him for six years at Leeds and I was proud of Gary Speed every time I saw him play or train.

"He wasn't the most talented of kids when I first saw him but he wanted to make himself better.

A touching message left for Gary Speed outside Leeds' Elland Road

"I used to say to players 'If you want to look at somebody to see how to be a footballer, look at Gary Speed'. He got the most out of what he had.

"I am going to miss his laugh. He had a child-like laugh. I'll forget the goals but I will never forget his laugh. I said to Gary McAllister, 'I'm never going to hear that again'."

David Moyes

Everton manager David Moyes and chairman Bill Kenwright both paid their tributes to Speed, who was at Goodison Park from 1996 to 1998.

Moyes, who became manager in 2002, told evertonfc.com: "Gary was a great servant to Everton during his time at Goodison and myself and the rest of the squad were as shocked as the rest of the footballing world when we heard the news.

"It's hard to understand and obviously the thoughts and prayers of everyone connected with the club are with the family at what is a very difficult time."

Everton supporters' tribute to Gary Speed

Kenwright, who has been on the board at Everton since 1984, added: "Gary was everything a footballer should aspire to be.

"Committed but elegant, hard-working but full of style, a player who didn't know how to give anything other than 100% to the football club he played for.

"He loved football as much as football loved him and will be hugely missed as a player, a manager and a man.

"Everyone at Everton Football Club - fans, coaches, players, staff and directors - send their deepest condolences to Gary's family at this desperately sad time."

Cheshire Police are set to open the inquest into Gary Speed's death at Warrington Coroner's Court tomorrow afternoon.