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Derek Statham: Cyrille Regis 'about as close to perfect as it’s possible to get’

An emotional Derek Statham described his friend Cyrille Regis as being “about as close to perfect as it’s possible to get”.

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Cyrille Regis and Derek Statham sit on the bonnet of an Albion minibus, with John Wile in the driving seat

Former team-mates, including Statham, have been left heartbroken by Regis’s sudden passing at the age of just 59.

The pair were close pals during their time with the Baggies and remained so long after their playing days had ended.

Statham, who is now based in Spain, explained how he and Regis had met-up only weeks ago.

“Everything was fantastic with him,” said Statham. “I was back over in the UK and we arranged to meet. We had a good few hours together, exchanging stories and catching up with each other’s news.

“I just can’t quite comprehend the fact he is gone. I’m devastated.

“I honestly don’t think anyone had a bad word to say about Cyrille. Nobody is perfect, of course. But he was about as close to it as you are ever going to get.”

Left-back Statham explained how he and the rest of Albion’s first-team got their first glimpse of Regis’s prowess on the pitch, shortly after he had joined the club from non-league Hayes.

“The first time I saw Cyrille play was in a reserve game against Walsall, just after he joined in 1977,” said Statham.

“We were training at Aston University at the time and I can remember the whole first-team wandering over to watch.

“There we all were, lying on the bank, me, Bomber Brown, Ally Robertson, Willie Johnston, Bryan Robson, you name it.

“Anyway, the game kicked off and within seconds someone raced down the wing and flings in a cross which Cyrille, leaping high in the air above the defenders, powered into the top corner.

“Almost in unison we turned to each other and said: ‘F****** hell! Who is that?’

“From day one, you could tell he was a serious player. He was just a beast. He had the ability to carry the ball and he was just so powerful.”

Regis, along with team-mates Brendon Batson and Laurie Cunningham, also played the role of pioneer, breaking down barriers for black players at a time when racism remained rife in the game.

“They took so much abuse,” said Statham. “What they went through was ridiculous. As team-mates, as friends, we tried to help but I think back then we didn’t really understand the gravity of it.

“Me and Cyrille were close. We would talk, privately, about what he was going through.

“Of course it hurt him. But he used that anger to drive his ability. His way was to shut them up with what he did on the pitch.

“I’m not sure I could have done the same. He, Laurie and Brendon were better men than me in that respect.

“They took the brunt of it and made it easier for those players who came after them.”

Statham explained how he and Regis bonded off the pitch thanks to a shared sense of humour.

“We were similar in that respect, we would laugh at the same things, that’s why we got on so well,” he said. “We had some great times, shared some great memories.

“With me being in Spain, we could go months without seeing each other. But every time I was back in the UK, we would make sure we met up, if only for a couple of hours.

“Every time we did meet, it was like we had never been apart. We were comfortable in each other’s company and I counted him as a true friend.

“It’s such difficult news to take on board, all so sudden. If someone is ill, then you at least might expect it. I’m just simply devastated.”