Jack Grealish reveals heartfelt message Craig Shakespeare sent him just a month before he died - as Man City winger says he is 'absolutely devastated' by former coach's death

Jack Grealish has revealed the emotional message he received from Craig Shakespeare just a month before the former Leicester City manager and Aston Villa coach died.

News of the much-loved manager's death,at the age of 60,rocked the football world yesterday evening.

Shakespeare was a key member of Claudio Ranieri's staff as the Foxes wrote one of the greatest stories in the history of the game to lift the Premier League trophy.

After the Italian was sacked the following season,Shakespeare led Leicester to the quarter-finals of the Champions League as caretaker-boss.

Now Manchester City winger Grealish has become the latest big name to pay tribute to the former coach,revealing the contents of a touching text he received after he failed to make the England Euro 2024 squad.

Several of Shakespeare's former clubs were quick to pay tribute to him on social media

After succeeding Ranieri in 2017,he spent eight months in the managerial hot seat at the club,winning 11 of his 26 games in charge before he was replaced by Claude Puel.

Shakespeare also enjoyed a one-game stint as caretaker boss of West Brom in 2006,overseeing a 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace.

It was announced last October that Shakespeare had been diagnosed with cancer,with his last role in football being as part of Smith's coaching staff during his spell at Leicester in 2023.