Former England manager Glenn Hoddle is seriously ill in hospital after collapsing at the BT Sport studios.
Presenter Jake Humphrey said that Hoddle was “taken seriously ill” at the studio on Saturday morning and that BT’s football results show had been cancelled.
Former midfielder Hoddle, who works as a pundit for the broadcaster, was celebrating his 61st birthday.
Humphrey tweeted: “Our friend & colleague Glenn Hoddle was taken seriously ill at the BT Sport studio this morning.
“For that reason there will be no @btsportscore – but we will be live as usual for the 5.30 ko at Leicester. Everyone of us is right with you Glenn, sending love & strength.”
He won 53 caps for his country before managing the team from 1996-1999. Hoddle went on to manage Southampton, Tottenham and Wolverhampton before becoming a TV pundit.
Members of the football community have sent messages of support to Hoddle. Match of the Day presenter and former Tottenham and England striker Gary Lineker tweeted:
“Hugely worrying news that Glenn Hoddle collapsed at the BT studios earlier. Thoughts are with him and his family. Come on Glenn.”
Other messages of support were shared on the official Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC twitter pages.
The official account for Chelsea tweeted: “Our thoughts are with former Blues boss Glenn Hoddle, who has been taken seriously ill on his 61st birthday. We’re right with you, Glenn.”
Tottenham Hotspur wrote: “Everybody at the club sends their best wishes to Glenn Hoddle for a full and speedy recovery.”
Fellow BT Sport colleague Des Kelly added: “Glenn Hoddle has been taken ill and he’s being cared for in hospital. Everyone at BT Sport and, I’m sure, right across football, will wish the lovely fella the very, very best.”
Another colleague said: “Thoughts and prayers for Glenn Hoddle and his family after he was taken ill today.”
Hoddle was an elegant midfielder who was one of the most gifted players of his generation.
A Tottenham fan as a boy, he came through the club’s youth system before making his debut in 1975.
He went on to make 494 appearances for Spurs, scoring 110 goals, as the club became a force again in the early 1980s with two FA Cup wins.
Hoddle was central to both. It was his free-kick in the 1981 final that was deflected in for an own-goal by Tommy Hutchinson and earned the club a replay they went on to win 3-2.
The following year were Spurs back at Wembley and again they could only draw 1-1, this time against Queen’s Park Rangers, with Hoddle opening the scoring.
He scored the only goal of the replay, from the penalty spot, to retain the trophy.
Hoddle won 53 caps for England, scoring eight goals, and appearing at two World Cups and one European Championship. Despite this, he struggled for much of his career to convince England managers to build their teams around him during an era that valued hard work and tackling above artistry and vision.
Hoddle’s final game for Spurs was the 1987 FA Cup final loss to Coventry City, before he moved to Monaco and played under future Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. He won Ligue 1 in his first season.
Hoddle returned to England and management, steering unfashionable Swindon in to the Premier League, before he took over at Chelsea in 1993.
His work at Stamford Bridge earned Hoddle his chance managing England, and he took the national side to the 1998 World Cup.
England unluckily went out in the second round on penalties to Argentina, before Hoddle lost his job after being quoted seemingly saying people with disabilities were being punished for the sins in a previous life.
He returned to club management with Southampton before the chance to take over at Tottenham presented itself in 2001. Hoddle took them to the 2002 League Cup final, but he was unable to produce much more than mid-table finishes and he was sacked in September 2003.
A spell in charge of Wolves that ended in July 2006 was his last managerial post and he has carved out a successful career as a TV pundit.
