Ten years ago
Sad
For Neil Taylor and his Swansea City team-mates, Sunday, 27 November 2011 felt like a typical Premier League match day.
On a crisp, clear afternoon, there was a hum of anticipation as supporters filled the Liberty Stadium for the visit of Aston Villa in the day’s early televised game at 13:30.
With kick-off a little over an hour away, Taylor was focused. His pre-match preparations and rituals done, the Wales international was ready.
Swansea captain Ashley Williams gathered his players for a huddle in the changing room before stepping out on to the pitch to warm up, the sounds of a capacity crowd filtering through the tunnel.
Then, as he did before every game, manager Brendan Rodgers approached his team. Only this time, it was not to discuss tactics.
"Brendan just came and pulled us out of the changing room to a back room," Taylor recalls.
"He said: 'Listen, we think Gary Speed has passed away.'
"It's hard to explain moments of shock but I think we just sort of didn't believe it or thought it was going to be one of those silly rumours or whatever. Your first question is: 'How do you mean?'
"And then we heard it was possibly suicide. Then someone said it had been confirmed by Shay Given, who was in the opposite changing room for Aston Villa. He was a good friend of his from his time in Newcastle. He'd confirmed it."
Taylor could not process what he had just heard. He felt numb.
Speed, the much-loved Wales manager, a midfield great of the Premier League era, had taken his own life. His body was found by his wife Louise at their home.
