Gary Speed's mural is a permanent reminder of his importance and Leeds United legacy

Ten years on from his untimely death today marks a period of remembrance for the midfielder who made over 300 appearances for the Whites.

Speed - who signed terms in West Yorkshire aged 14 - was a key part of the 1992 First Division title-winning side under head coach Howard Wilkinson.

Earlier this year, the Leeds United Supporters Trust unveiled a 20ft mural of Speed in Bramley at Showoff Design and Display.

The artwork - completed by Claire Bentley-Smith a.k.a artist Poshfruit - was done in partnership with owner Ross Horsman and charity Andy's Man Club, a group aimed at getting men to open up about their mental health problems.

Speed's mural is a celebration over the impact and all that he achieved in a Leeds United shirt but also a reminder of the importance of men's mental health.

"His passing was such a shock," Graham Hyde, of the Leeds United Supporters Trust, recalled the YEP.

"It was the whole football world, not just Leeds. Everything seemed so rosy on the outside. Gary had touched so many different clubs in the game and the Welsh nation as a whole - it was such a loss to everyone when he left us.

"We felt that doing the mural in the tenth anniversary year was the right time. He was a player who had to be marked. It is something that really makes a statement about the importance of Gary to Leeds and by teaming up with Andy's Man Club what we wanted to say was that it's okay not to be okay.

"Men's mental health is something we need to talk about and it has come on so much in the last ten years. You have no idea whether it may have helped, but the support is now there for people going forward.

"The mural is a celebration of Gary but also a reminder of that too. Speaking to Carol Speed (Gary's mum) at the unveiling in the summer, she believed that to be a really important thing."

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