Ex-Gravesend and Northfleet player Bruce Sewell dies

Sewell with former Gravesend team-mate Jimmy Bullard

Former Gravesend and Northfleet captain Bruce Sewell has died at the age of just 40.

Sewell, who leaves a wife and two young sons, had been battling Motor Neurone Disease for the past five years.

Sewell played for the club, now Ebbsfleet United, between 1998 and 2000 and later become physio of Luton Town.

Andy Ford, his former manager, told BBC Radio Kent: "He was a very good player, great fellow off the pitch, and and a joy to be with."

Ford, who signed him for Gravesend and Northfleet from Boreham Wood, said Sewell was one of the most unselfish players he had worked with.

He said: "He thought of others first, and money wasn't an issue with him. He was never a greedy man and it's such a shame this sort of thing happens to this type of person.

"Although we knew it would happen at some stage it still comes as a shock."

Ford had pursued Sewell for some time before signing him.

"I was delighted when I signed him," he added.

He was never a greedy man and it's such a shame this sort of thing happens to this type of person

Andy Ford, former Gravesend and Northfleet manager

"He played in a number of positions, having trained him and played him in my side I realised what a good player he was. He was very fit, he looked after himself, he did triathlons away from football and was such a happy person."

The club hosted a benefit match for Bruce in 2006, with Hull City's Jimmy Bullard, a former team-mate of Sewell's at Gravesend, among those who played.

Ford continued: "It was the auction in the evening that made most of the money. A lot of people supported it very well, we raised about £10,000, old friends and players supported the day and I think we helped him buy one of those special beds, and made his life a lot easier hopefully."

BBC Radio Kent's Ebbsfleet United commentator Charles Webster remembers Sewell with some fondness.

He said: "He was a gentleman footballer, a class act who played with a determination that made him so popular amongst fans and team mates alike.

"Every team needs a player like Bruce. He wasn't showy, just got on with the job, and left the flashy stuff to other people. He always seemed to play more thoughtfully than most players, often with a smile on his face when his concentration allowed."

All of us who met Bruce were very privileged to do so. He will be greatly missed

BBC Radio Kent commentator Charles Webster

He added: "We have all learned more about Bruce since he retired from playing. We discovered how brave he was and how he faced his recent health challenges with courage. All of us who met Bruce were very privileged to do so. He will be greatly missed, and our thoughts go out to his family."

Jessica McQueen of the MyFootballClub board and Fleet Trust told the club's website: "Bruce was a wonderful chap and anyone who saw him play would have realised his passion for the game that is football.

"When he was badly injured playing for GNFC I visited him in hospital and took some fruit that has been purchased by a then supporters association, he was really pleased and touched that fans had bothered."

Sewell also played for Ford United, Purfleet, Billericay, Yeading and St Albans and represented the British Universities side.

Just days before his death he had emailed the club in response to a feature about him in the matchday programme for the game between Ebbsfleet and Luton.

His funeral takes place in East London on Thursday.