Ray, Ray, Super Ray…..

…..Super Ray Wilkins. Any footballer whose chant is so straightforward and complimentary is clearly adored by the fans. And Ray Wilkins, who died yesterday aged just 61, was adored everywhere. Best remembered for his years at Chelsea, Manchester United and England, he captained all three sides. But, in the autumn of his career, he captained QPR and I became a huge fan. A gentleman both on and off the pitch, Ray’s elegant, intelligent style of football was years ahead of its time. Like many great players, he wasn’t a great manager but found his niche back at Chelsea. Fluent in Italian from his spell at AC Milan, he was a brilliant No.2 – a loyal consigliere – to Gianluca Vialli and Carlo Ancelotti. In that time, Chelsea won trophies galore, though Ancelotti maintained that, without Ray, they’d have won nothing. He may have been No.2 at Chelsea but at QPR, his chant was No.1