Gordon Strachan has joined in the tributes for Gary Speed who died on Sunday aged 42.
Strachan, a team-mate of Speed's in Leeds' 1992 title-winning campaign, was "proud" to see the young midfielder progress through the ranks at Elland Road.
Speaking on BBC Radio, the former Celtic and Southampton manager said: "Sometimes you have an indication that something is wrong but this one came right out of the blue.
"I trained beside him for six years at Leeds and I was proud of Gary Speed every time I saw him play or train.
"He wasn't the most talented of kids when I first saw him but he wanted to make himself better.
"I used to say to players 'If you want to look at somebody to see how to be a footballer, look at Gary Speed'. He got the most out of what he had.
"I am going to miss his laugh. He had a child-like laugh. I'll forget the goals but I will never forget his laugh. I said to Gary McAllister, 'I'm never going to hear that again'."
Leeds manager Simon Grayson signed for the Whites on the same day as Speed as a 14-year-old and had been a close friend of his.
"(On Sunday) We were at the training ground preparing for the game against Nottingham Forest and somebody rang me," Grayson told Sky Sports News.
"It was just an amazement, it left you all cold and with a feeling of sickness.
"We're the same age, 28 years we've been together on coaching courses, playing against each other and apprentices together and that's why it's such a tragedy for everybody."
He added: "We were both 14-year-old boys (when we signed for Leeds) that came through innocent at the time and 28 years later still remained very close friends and that's why it's an unbelievably sad day, for everybody who knew Gary.
"His family, it's such a shock to everybody in general because he was such a wonderful person, a fantastic footballer and apart from being a fantastic footballer he was a role model for everybody out there and that's why everybody is so saddened by the news.
"You can put aside the football aspects, because that's our job at times, but he was a fantastic person. He had time for everybody; he'd go out of his way for people, young or old.
"This is why there's so many people mourning the death of such a lovely person. He'll be sorely missed."
