Former Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd died "peacefully at his home" on Monday, his family have confirmed.
Born in 1941, Shepherd, along with John Hall, helped the north-east club secure Premier League status in 1993 and was pivotal in attracting Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer to join during his time at St James' Park.
The businessman - who was awarded the freedom of the city of Newcastle earlier this year - sold his share of the club to Mike Ashley in 2007 after a 10-year stint as chairman.
"Freddy Shepherd, former chairman of Newcastle United and chairman of Shepherd Offshore Group and Triple S Sports & Entertainment Group, sadly passed away peacefully at his home last night," the family announced in a statement.
We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Newcastle United chairman, Freddy Shepherd. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. September 26, 2017
"At this difficult time the family have asked that their privacy be respected and all media enquiries should be directed to Mark Whittle of Triple S Communications."
Shearer led the tributes to his "great friend" on social media, thanking Shepherd for bringing him back to his home city in 1996 for a world-record fee of £15million.
So sad to hear my great friend and former chairman Freddy Shepherd has passed away. I owe him a huge debt for bringing me home. RIPSeptember 26, 2017
‘He instantly popped into our ratings as one of the best U21 midfielders in Europe. The impressive thing is Slot has made him into more of a no.6' Inside Ryan Gravenberch's transformation at Liverpool
‘I don’t think Liverpool would look at Ollie Watkins, a striker isn’t a pressing issue for them – it’s Arsenal who need one’ Former Reds star explains why his old club don’t need an out-and-out forward this summer
