Dermot Drummy, who came through the Arsenal youth academy as a player, before later coaching the u18s, has died aged 56.

Arsène Wenger paid tribute to the former Arsenal man in a video on the club website. He said: “It is very sad news and I would like to express my condolences to his family and of course everybody around him.

“He was a very competent man, very respected here and it is really difficult to understand what happened. We are very sad here today and would like to thank him for all the great work he has done here.

“He was a good character and a sensitive and sensible man. He was always willing to learn, always wanting to improve the quality of his coaching.

“When he left us it was very sad news at the time, he had done an excellent job here, and I would say today as well that many, many, many young players that he has coached are sad because he has contributed a lot and that is why the whole football world and all of us at Arsenal are very sad.”

Drummy initially joined the Arsenal academy in 1974, and remained at the club until 1980, before moving onto non-league football. Although he didn’t play a match for the Gunners’ first-team, he made some appearances in the Football League with Blackpool on a loan spell, before eventually joining Hendon FC.

His ties to the Gunners remained intact, however, and when he eventually decided to retire from playing in 1996, he rejoined Arsenal as a coach. Dermot spent 12 years with the club, before eventually leaving for an assistant manager role overseas. He worked with Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs, among many others.

Youth coaches often do a lot of their work away from the public eye, especially before new technology started to allow us to share clips from matches online. So, although Drummy’s impact on the club may not have been immediately obvious, it’s clear that hundreds of young players will have benefitted from his coaching and guidance.

All of us at Daily Cannon offer our condolences to Dermot’s family and friends, and we hope his influence will live on in the players he taught.