RIP Justin Edinburgh.
Everyone at Gillingham Football Club is devastated to learn of the passing of former Manager Justin Edinburgh, aged 49.
Justin, who was an FA Cup and League Cup winner with Tottenham Hotspur in 1991 and 1999 respectively, suffered a cardiac arrest on Monday and died on Saturday.
The former Portsmouth, Spurs and Southend left-back made 364 professional appearances and scored three goals in a playing career which spanned nearly 20 years.
He went into management following his retirement, initially in non-league prior to winning promotion to the EFL with Newport County in 2013.
After continued success Chairman Paul Scally made Justin his first-team manager in February 2015, narrowly missing out on the play-offs at the end of the 2015-16 season, having begun the campaign with an incredible 4-0 win over Sheffield United.
He joined Northampton Town following his departure from ME7 and was at Sixfields for a period of seven months, but he wasn’t out of the game for long as he was named the new boss of Leyton Orient in November 2017 and guided the club back to the EFL having won the National League last season.
Orient Chairman Nigel Travis said: “We are completely heartbroken by this tragedy. All our thoughts and love are with the Edinburgh family and we know from the messages that have flooded into the Club over the last week that the wider football world will share our sentiments.”
Gills Chairman Paul Scally said: “Everyone at the Club is absolutely devastated by this news. Our thoughts and condolences go to Justin’s friends and family at this very sad time.”
All our thoughts are with Justin’s wife Kerri along with their children Charlie and Cydnie.
RIP Justin
The thoughts of everybody at Gillingham Football Club are with Justin Edinburgh's friends, family and colleagues at @leytonorientfc at this very difficult time.
— Gillingham FC (@TheGillsFC) June 8, 2019
Such sad news.
RIP Justin Edinburgh. https://t.co/cnZLOPfaKI