Former Spurs star Richards dies aged 36

Former Tottenham and Wolves defender Dean Richards died on Saturday aged 36 after losing his battle with a long-term illness.

Richards, who also played for Bradford and Southampton, was forced to retire from the game in March 2005 after suffering from dizzy spells and headaches during his time at White Hart Lane.

A statement on the Wolves website read: "Everyone at Wolves was saddened to hear of the death of Dean Richards, who passed away this morning at the age of 36 after a long-term battle with serious illness."

Wolves plan a tribute to former England Under-21 international Richards ahead of next Sunday's match against Tottenham at Molineux.

Bradford-born Richards started his career with his hometown club and the Bantams paid tribute to their former player, saying: "The club are truly devastated to hear of the death of former Bradford City fans' favourite Dean Richards."

Richards moved to Wolves in 1995 where he made 145 appearances in a four-year spell and became a crowd favourite.

He then joined Southampton, where he spent two years, before switching to White Hart Lane for £8.1million.

Richards made almost 350 appearances in a career spanning 13 years before his retirement and returned to the game in August 2007 as a youth team coach at Bradford.