Gary Speed Laid To Rest At Private Funeral

Wales football manager Gary Speed has been laid to rest during a private ceremony in North Wales.

Only family and close friends were invited, but a public memorial service for the former Everton, Leeds and Newcastle midfielder is being planned for the new year.

Speed was found hanged at his home in Cheshire last month .

Police said there were "no suspicious circumstances".

Former Wales, Arsenal and Celtic striker John Hartson, who was unable to attend the funeral because he was opening a specialist cancer centre in Swansea called Maggies , thanked Speed's widow for urging fans to support his charity.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Louise Speed called on people to make donations to two cancer funds - The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and the John Hartson Foundation - in tribute to her husband.

Hartson set up the charity after being diagnosed with brain, lung and testicular cancer in 2009.

The father-of-five, who at one stage was on a life support machine, overcame the odds to make a remarkable recovery.

"I am incredibly touched by Louise's calls for people to back my charity. Gary was always very supportive of the foundation," he said.

"He even played in a charity match to raise money for it on his own birthday as well as running the London Marathon in aid of it. That's the kind of man he was.

"It means an awful lot, especially as some of the money from my foundation will go towards the Maggies centre, which is a cause very close to my heart.

"I spoke with Gary's father Roger last night to say I could not make it to the funeral because I was opening the centre here today - but my thoughts are with him and his family and I will be attending the memorial service in February."