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Papa Bouba Diop has passed away at the age of 42. The former Fulham and Portsmouth midfielder has passed away after a long illness. Diop also represented West Ham and Birmingham in England, as well as winning 63 matches for his country Senegal.
Diop retired from professional football in 2013 after leaving Birmingham.
He began his career at the Senegalese club ASC Diaraf in 1996 and was in Switzerland with Vevey, Neuchatel Xamax and Grasshoppers.
Diop moved to France to play for Lens in 2002 before joining Fulham in 2004.
He spent three years at Craven Cottage, scoring nine goals in 84 appearances, before his move to Portsmouth in 2007.
He was part of Pompey’s team that won the 2008 FA Cup, coming in as a substitute in the 78th minute in a 1-0 win over Cardiff.
Diop played 72 times for Portsmouth before leaving to join AEK Athens.
He only had a brief stint at AEK between 2010 and 2011 before returning to England with West Ham in 2011.
After a season with the Hammers, Diop joined Birmingham in 2012.
He made just two Championship for the Blues appearances before leaving in early 2013.
Diop’s international career began in 2001 and he played for his country in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
He will be remembered for scoring the goal to beat defending champion France 1-0 in the first match of the tournament.
Tributes have flooded the former midfielder since the news of his death.
Portsmouth’s official Twitter account wrote: “We are devastated to hear reports that FA Cup winner Papa Bouba Diop passed away after a long illness, aged 42.
“Rest in peace, The Closet.”
The Fulham account posted a similar tribute to Diop.
The message read: “We are devastated to hear the news reports tonight that Papa Bouba Diop has passed away, aged 42.
“Rest well, Wardrobe.”
Lens also posted a message on his Twitter shortly after the news of Diop’s death.
The tweet read: “It is with great sadness that Racing Club de Lens has just learned of the disappearance of its former player Papa Bouba Diop, at the age of 42.
“We offer our condolences to his loved ones.”
Former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted: “How terribly sad. Taken so young. RIP Papa Bouba Diop.”
Former Portsmouth midfielder Chris Kamara also posted his thoughts after hearing the news.
Kamara tweeted: “Devastated to have read the news that Papa Bouba Diop has passed away.
“He did not know he had been ill and at 42 he was taken away too young.”
“We used to laugh a lot that I called him ‘The man on the mountain himself’ RIP Papa.
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