Chris Bart-Williams dead at 49: Ex-Premier League star passes away on ‘one of darkest days in Nottingham Forest history’

LEGENDARY Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest footballer Chris Bart-Williams has died. 

The former Premier League star, who had been based in the US in recent years, passed away aged just 49. 

In a statement Sheffield Wednesday wrote: "We are deeply saddened at the passing of our former player Chris Bart-Williams."

It came the same day ex-Nottingham Forest forward and England legend Trevor Francis died aged 69.

Francis managed Bart-Williams when he was in charge of Sheffield Wednesday, with the team playing tribute to both stars.

Sheffield Wednesday FC said: "Bart-Williams' untimely passing mirrors that of his manager at Hillsborough, Trevor Francis, who also died on this, one of the darkest days in our long history."

Nottingham Forest said they were "deeply saddened", adding: "Our thoughts go out to Chris' family and friends at this truly difficult time."

Bart-Williams, who won 16 England Under-21 caps and one England 'B' cap, had poured more than three decades of his life into football, both as a player and coach.

He was just 16 when he earned a spot in the Leyton Orient first-team. 

His talent was quickly recognised, and the teen was shifted up to Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls shelled out £275,000 to bring him to Hillsborough in 1991, the year they were promoted to the English top flight, the First Division, as it was then known.

The Sierra Leone-born star, whose who nickname was Bartman, played 124 times for Wednesday, scoring 16 goals - including a hat-trick against Southampton.

In 1995, Bart-Williams joined Nottingham Forest in a £2.5million move. He played more than 200 games for Forest, finding the net 30 times, despite playing several games at sweeper.

The midfielder's 76th-minute winner against Leicester in 1999 would be Forest's last Premier League goal until 2022.