I knew Craig Shakespeare a little bit.
I grew up in Lichfield, and him and his family lived at the bottom of the road I lived on with my parents and siblings. I think he first lived there whilst he was a player at West Brom, buying the house from a certain Carlton Palmer no less!
My Dad and I, as obsessive football and Leicester fans were of course, obsessed with the player and then coach who lived at the end of the road! A nicer bloke you honestly could not wish to meet. So down to earth, always gave you time, put you at ease in his company. When he got the job at Leicester he’d always get us tickets and sometimes tell us snippets about what was going on at the club and the players. We often took his son to games with us, as he couldn’t go with Dad on the coach!
Shakey had a MASSIVE influence on us winning the Premier League. I’d never disclose just how much on here as it’s private, but I think one day some of those title winners will tell the story.
I remember once chatting to him whilst we were both out walking our Labradors , about Jamie Vardy. I said to him how good I thought Vardy could be. This was the middle of the great escape season. Shakey replied ‘Yep, he can play for England. We keep telling him he can be whatever he wants to be. He has EVERYTHING’. I really think him and Nigel had a huge influence on helping Jamie Vardy be the footballer he became (and still is).
This one has really hit hard. Devastated for him and his family. RIP Shakey