Cook: Mariner Was a Superstar of a Footballer and a Superstar of a Man Saturday, 10th Jul 2021 23:04 Town manager Paul Cook has joined Ipswich and England team-mates of Paul Mariner, as well as figures from throughout football and the media, in paying tribute to the Blues legend, whose death was announced this morning. Speaking after this afternoon’s 1-0 friendly win at Dartford, Cook said: “Obviously I’m from an era when Paul was an absolute superstar of a footballer, a superstar of a man. An absolute Ipswich and England legend and it’s a really, really sad day. “Hopefully tomorrow there’ll be a lot of smiles on English faces and maybe Paul could be looking down with a little smile himself. “I never came across Paul but everyone I’ve come into contact with, all the ex-players, everyone speaks so well about Paul and it’s a sad day and a sad day felt by everyone at the club.” Tributes have continued to pour in since the news of the striker’s death aged 68 broke this morning, including from his Blues and England team-mate Terry Butcher.  “He was the most unbelievable man. Tough, very much a combination of Van Nistelrooy, Harry Kane and Van Basten, all the great strikers,” he told Sky Sports. “A big rocker, he loved Iron Maiden and Deep Purple, the singer Ian Gillan was a big friend of his. As a man he was wonderful. So caring, so lovable. Every person he met was better for it. We are all devastated.” Mariner’s Town skipper Mick Mills told the EADT: “It is very devastating news. Obviously, first of all, our thoughts are with his partner Val, his mother Peggy and his three sons George, Joe and Dan. Our love goes to them at this very difficult time. “He was a massive, massive personality, he was a terrific player, everything about him was colossal. “There was no player better I don’t think than Paul at Portman Road during that terrific Bobby Robson era. “He was terrific on the pitch, a great leader of the line, certainly one you would much prefer to have in your team than against you. All of his colleagues remember him most for his personality and his presence in the dressing room.” Russell Osman said: “He was a wonderful teammate, a great person, life and soul of the party. He was always full of energy and life. He was a wonderful character, and a very important part of the team that we had in the late 70s, early 80s.  “He was just a great lad, loved his music, loved his rock and roll, his heavy rock music especially. He was just a wonderful, wonderful fella.” England team-mate Bryan Robson said: “He had a terrific attitude to life. He was just a great, great laugh and will be so sadly missed. “I remember in the tunnel before England games I used to say ‘Come on boys, let's go!’ I'd turn round then behind me I'd hear this huge roaring scream of ‘Come Onnnn!’ and it would be Paul jumping up and down in the face of the opposition, often with Terry Butcher. “You'd look at the other team and see they were scared half to death before they'd even gone out of the tunnel. Yet off the pitch, you could not meet a nicer guy.” Ex-Liverpool and England captain Phil Thompson added: “We were at Hampden to play Scotland so it was normally vocal and feisty but Paul, who was 6ft 3ins and Terry [Butcher], at 6ft 4ins, would take it to another level. “They'd be leaping and screaming down the corridor shouting ‘'Come on! Let's batter these!’.’ We were frightened and they were on our team. “We played Italy in the European Championships, up against Claudio Gentile, a hard defender, but Paul held his own. He loved the physical side but he was so good he could have easily fitted into our Liverpool team. He was a special guy. A proper player.”
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