There are those who remember Ray Wilkins for his television commentary but many would easily say he was a footballer who became a manager after the end of his days. The English footballer has played for popular football clubs in England including Chelsea, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers and Rangers (in the Scottish league).
He also played for the country’s national team in two World Cups and one European competition. If you check his records, you’ll find he made his last appearance (84th) for England against Yugoslavia sometime in November 1986.
The Life and Death of Ray Wilkins
We mentioned earlier that football in England, as in all countries where a sport is popular and followed by a majority of citizens, is a bonding element between families. The story was the same for the Wilkins family, where all four men in the family were actively involved in sports. He was born on September 14, 1956, as Raymond Colin Wilkins, to George Wilkins in Hillingdon, Middlesex. His mother’s name is unknown.
Ray Wilkins started his career at Chelsea, where he eventually became a legend. He joined the club as a teenager in the 1970s, completing his education as an apprentice before making his first-team debut aged 17 against Norwich City. In the game on October 26, 1973, he came on as a substitute in Chelsea’s 3-0 win.
Two years after his first game for the club, Wilkins, then 18, was named team captain by the club’s new manager, replacing the former player and longtime captain, following the departure of many of the club’s established players due to the club’s relegation to a lower division. John Hollins. He remained captain for four years. During this period, he became one of the best players in the team and helped the team return to the First Division in the 1976–77 season.
After another season of relegation for Chelsea in 1979, Ray Wilkins joined Manchester United for £825,000, which at the time of the transfer was the highest ever received by the London Club for a player. Ray Wilkins later justified his spending during his United career, scoring 10 goals for United during his time at the club and was named the fans’ Player of the Year in the 1983–84 season.
His pedigree at United caught the eye of Milan, one of Italy’s top sides, who paid £1.5m for his services. However, at the time of the transfer, Milan had only just completed a relegation season. During his time at Milan, he helped the team defeat bitter rivals Inter Milan and played 105 games for the team, including 74 in Serie A.
He spent a brief spell at PSG before moving to Rangers where he won two league titles and a Scottish League Cup. He then retired to Leyton Orient, playing for 12 clubs in total during his professional career.
His international career spanned 10 years. He played 84 games with the Three Lions and scored 3 goals. He played in two World Cups in 1982 and 1986.
After his active football career, he became a coach and pundit. He led 8 teams as an assistant manager and was Jordan’s manager, coaching them for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
He was working as an expert at the time of his death on April 4, 2018.
How did he die?
Ray Wilkins was publicly admitted to suffering from alcoholism and depression while he was alive. However, it was a fall caused by cardiac arrest that landed him in hospital on March 28, 2018. He was placed in a coma to aid his recovery at St. George’s Hospital in Tooting, but is passed away on April 4, 2018.
Who was his wife?
Ray Wilkins was married to one woman throughout his life. He married Jackie Wilkins in 1979 and was married for over 40 years until his death in 2018. Jackie was secretary to the manager of Chelsea when Ray met her and fell in love. The two had two children – Jade Wilkins and Ross Wilkins.
Net value
At the time of his death, Ray Wilkins was worth $4 million. It was a wealth of his playing and coaching career.