Speed will never be forgotten on Tyneside, as Welsh football prepares to mark the first anniversary of the former manager's death.
Former Wales, Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United midfielder Speed died at the age of 42 a year ago on Tuesday, prompting a huge outpouring of grief from within the game for a popular and respected figure.
Wales boss Chris Coleman: "Forget the football, Gary was a great guy, different class.
"I was lucky enough to have known him for a long time. He's greatly missed - I still miss him. I will always miss him.
"I can't believe it's a year ago. You don't ever forget something like that. I will probably never get over it. You try to deal with it as time goes on.
"But you don't forget someone like Gary. We never will.
"It will be a difficult day and Christmas will be difficult for his family, but we are all here to support them."
Speed was signed for Newcastle United on 6 February 1998 by Kenny Dalglish, for a fee of £5.5 million.
He made his debut as a starter in a 1–0 home Premier League defeat to West Ham United the next day.
His first goal came in his fifth match, the sixth round proper of the 1997–98 FA Cup.
At home to Barnsley, he scored the second goal of a 3–1 home win with a 27th minute strike.
His only league goal of the 1997–98 season came in a 3–1 home win over Chelsea in the penultimate league match on 2 May, with Newcastle's third in the 59th minute.
He finished the season by playing the 1998 FA Cup Final, which Newcastle lost 2–0 to Arsenal on 16 May.
Speed featured in the club's FA Cup Final defeat to Manchester United on 22 May 1999.
On 19 September 1999, he scored a goal in Newcastle's 8–0 Premier League victory over Sheffield Wednesday in which his team-mate Alan Shearer scored a joint-record five times.
He also played in the UEFA Champions League with Newcastle in the 2002–03 season, scoring the 58th minute equaliser in a 2–1 home victory over Dynamo Kyiv in the group stage on 29 October 2002.
Speed moved to Bolton Wanderers on a two-year deal in a £750,000 switch from Newcastle United in July 2004.
He became the first player to make 500 Premier League appearances when he played in Bolton's 4–0 victory over West Ham United in December 2006