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Football Black List to pay special tribute to Ugo Ehiogu

Ugo Ehigou, Football Black List 2016 event, March 2017
Image: Ugo Ehiogu was a winner at the 2016 Football Black List event, which was held in March 2017

Ugo Ehiogu, who died in April, will be paid a special tribute at the Football Black List awards on Wednesday night.

Former Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and England defender Ehiogu suffered a cardiac arrest while working as an U23 coach at Tottenham earlier this year, weeks after being presented with the One to Watch award by the Football Black List, which celebrates the contributions to the sport of people from African and Caribbean backgrounds.

What is the Football Black List?

While more than 25 per cent of professional players in the UK are black, there are just four black managers across the 92 clubs, and no black chairpersons or CEOs. To help address this, the Football Black List shines a light on those who are inspiring the next generation to consider other roles in the game.

Jermain Defoe, Alex Scott, Yaya Toure, Nick Blackman and Joe Thompson are among those that will receive awards at this year's event, which is supported by the Premier League.

"Ugo made a significant contribution to the Premier League," said Premier League executive chairman, Richard Scudamore.

"He was as an outstanding footballer for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and other clubs and more recently a highly regarded Academy coach at Tottenham Hotspur.

Ugo Ehiogu the coach of Tottenham Hotspur U21 during the Barclays U21 Premier League match between Southampton and Tott
Image: Ehiogu died in April this year, aged 44

"In Ugo, the young players at Spurs had an excellent role model. While he is best known for his stellar football career, Ugo was a great person who used his profile to support charities and inspire positive change in the sport and beyond."

Ehiogu's family will be present to hand out the awards, including the One to Watch category which has been renamed in his honour.

Also See:

L-R Jason Roberts, Leon Mann (co-founder), Richard Scudamore, Andy Cole, DJ Spoony and Rodney Hinds (co-founder) at 2016 Football Black List
Image: Jason Roberts, Leon Mann (co-founder), Richard Scudamore, Andy Cole, DJ Spoony and Rodney Hinds (co-founder) at the 2016 Football Black List event

"Ugo is sorely missed by so many and we felt it was appropriate to name an award category after him to ensure that he remains with us at every Football Black List celebration," said Leon Mann, co-founder of the Football Black List.

"The initiative is gaining more and more support each year and we are delighted the Premier League are once again supporting the celebration.

"We all want to see more diversity across all areas of the game - to be more representative of society and the game we all love. The Football Black List can play a role in helping the industry achieve this."

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