Chris Bart-Williams, the former Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest midfielder, has died at the age of just 49.
Bart-Williams, who was born in Sierra Leone, won 16 England Under-21 caps and one England ‘B’ cap, spent eight seasons of his 16-year professional career plying his trade in the Premier League.
After breaking through at Leyton Orient, he joined Wednesday for a then club-record fee of £275k in 1991. He made 156 appearances for the Owls, scoring 24 goals, before joining Forest in a £2.5million move in 1995. He would spend six-and-a-half years at the City Ground, making 245 appearances and scoring 35 times.
He also had spells at Charlton Athletic, Ipswich Town, APOEL in Cyprus and Maltese side Marsaxlokk.
Sheffield Wednesday paid tribute on the club’s website, declaring: “Sheffield Wednesday are deeply saddened at the passing of our former player Chris Bart-Williams. Bart-Williams died in America, aged just 49.
“Bart-Williams’ untimely passing mirrors that of his manager at Hillsborough Trevor Francis, who also died on this, one of the darkest days in our long history.
“Our thoughts are with Chris’ and Trevor’s families and friends at this devastating time.”
Former Nottingham Forest teammate Mark Crossley likewise paid tribute on social media, to both Bart-Williams and Francis.
Crossley declared: “Devastating and I’m so upset to hear the news of Trevor Francis passing and my former team mate Chris Bart Williams, both so young, it is so sad , RIP Trevor and Chris.”
