Gary Speed's mother gives heartbreaking interview about football hero 14 years on from tragic death

He left behind wife Louise, as well as their two children Thomas and Edward. Despite many years passing, the family remain devoid of answers - and their suffering remains ongoing.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Carol said: "We didn’t have a clue then and we still don’t. He was always smiling, you know? He didn't... he never gave us any hint that there was anything the matter. And just like that...

"I've not been told what happened that night. Apart from what was said at the inquest. That makes it hard as well.

"It's a horrible thing to have to live with, the not knowing. We had no clues whatsoever."

The night before Speed's death, he had been at a dinner party with his wife Louise. A coroner heard of a row between the pair that she described as 'over something and nothing', and that he'd been on 'top form'.

Days previously he had appeared on the BBC's Football Focus. Host Dan Walker previously said he had been 'laughing and joking', while also 'taking the mickey out of Gary McAllister's jumper'.

The coroner later said it was impossible to determine whether Speed had intended to end his life in the garage of their family home.

Carol continues to live in the same home in Deeside, Flintshire, where the footballer was raised. Her husband, Roger, is now in a care home due to dementia. Carol says it's hard to leave the home behind given all the memories.

"Gary was born there," she added.

"I think about him as a child a lot. I remember the nets in the garden and the big bald patch where the goal was. The garage door he broke because he kept kicking the ball at it.

"You just feel empty. There are days when I can sit and chat and have a laugh and everything else, but there's always something missing. There's always, you know, there's always that emptiness there.

"To be honest, I could do with downsizing because it's just me now. But I just keep thinking of Gary when he was little. He was born there and I don't know, it's hard to leave it really. I suppose it’s silly."

Football hasn't been the same either.

Speed started his career at Leeds United, where he proceeded to make 312 appearances - scoring 57 goals.

He spent two years at Everton and proceeded to turn out for Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United before hanging up his boots in 2010.

Speed also made 85 appearances for the Wales national team and later became manager of the side, winning five of his 10 games in charge.

Tuning into the sport has been tough for Carol.

She admitted: "After Gary died I didn't watch football for 10 years.

"I couldn't go to a football match. I just kept seeing him on the pitch, you know?

"Then something switched on. I just thought that Gary wouldn’t have wanted me to do that. And so I started to watch it again."

Carol admits that it's hard for men to talk about their emotions. Everton recently unveiled a 'talking bench' dedicated to their former midfielder, with a plaque reading: "In memory of Gary Speed - Evertonian, captain, leader.

"A place for what is often unspoken. A place to sit, share and listen."

She hopes that similar tragedies can be avoided in the future.

Carol said: ‘If you’re struggling then you’ve got to speak. Because like I said, we just didn't know anything was wrong.

"If we had some idea we could have watched him, helped him. But we didn’t, we didn’t know.

"I know for a man it can be hard to speak about your emotions and everything but if you are going through a bad time you can get through it. You can carry on with your life.

"It’s such a waste, it really is. Just speak to someone, because what it does to the family is just heartbreaking.

"When it happens like it did with Gary, someone needs to know [what you’re going through] because for the families, it's awful.

"It's [his legacy] is remarkable, it really is. That people talk about him 14 years later.

"We thought the world of him and now we know that everybody else did.

"I really can't get over that, the support and everything, that they’re still talking about him. And people are doing things like this.

"The bench is such a good thing. People can talk now and I don’t think they felt like they could then.

"I think we’re a long way from where we were. The bench is a lovely touch and it's an honour to Gary as well."

Anyone who is in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call the Samaritans anonymously for free from a UK phone on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.