Leeds United team-mates and other football figures pay tribute after Sol Bamba passing
Liam Cooper has led the tributes to Sol Bamba after former Leeds United captain passed away at the age of 39.
Bamba fell ill prior to a Turkish TFF First League match between Manisa and Adanaspor, where he was technical director, and passed away late on 31 August, the club confirmed on X.
Leeds posted a tribute of their own on X, saying that they were “devastated” with the news, with Bamba having captained the side in 2015/16 following his arrival on an initial loan from Palermo.
Leeds United fans remember ‘warrior’ Sol Bamba in tributes
Despite only playing for the club for a season and a half across 2015 and 2016, Bamba became a cult hero at Elland Road, and is best remembered for a 20-yard half-volley he scored against Wolves.
Former Sky Sports pundit Jeff Stelling led the tributes to Bamba on X, calling the Ivorian, “one of the nicest men I have never met”, and saying that the news of his passing was “devastating”.
Bamba had previously been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2021 but was declared cancer-free four months later, and Stelling highlighted Bamba’s support for similar causes close to his heart.
Liam Cooper succeeded Bamba as United’s captain after his departure in 2016, and said that the Ivorian was “a man that stood for what was right – an amazing player on the pitch and a true gentleman off it.”
Jason Pearce, who left the club just a matter of days after Bamba’s arrival on loan from Palermo, said that in their short time together, Bamba was; “one of the best people I’ve met”.
A Whites legend and now Sky Sports pundit Jermaine Beckford, who played with Bamba at Leicester City added a tribute of his own, saying: “His smile was never far away but his energy was infectious!”
Alex Mowatt, now playing for West Brom, said that he was “lost for words” with the news of Bamba’s passing, simply calling the defender a “legend” in his tribute.
As the football world mourns one of its ‘good guys’, it’s clear that in the annuls of Elland Road and around the city where he made such an impact, Sol Bamba will never be forgotten.
In other Leeds United news, the club’s Supporters’ Trust praised Hull City’s vice-chairman after what he did before their match on Saturday.
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