Newcastle United legend Andy Cole has called for more to be done to detect heart problems in football players after the death of former Magpie Cheick Tiote.
But, let's be honest, Tiote was never the greatest player at the club by a million miles.
Tiote died last week during training with Beijing FC, collapsing on the football field before being pronounced dead at hospital.
Cole, who scored 68 goals in 85 games for United, was speaking to BBC Five Live and questioned if everything that could be done - was being done.
He said:“If someone is only 30 and they pass away, the question that is naturally going to be asked is; ‘Why? What’s gone on there? Why has he passed away so early?’
“It’s a strange one. Cheick Tiote hadn’t been in China that long - a few months - so he must have had a medical to complete the transfer. Was nothing picked up in that medical?
“You’d like to think that things have moved on these days and that these types of things could be picked up in medicals.
“Players are going for vast amounts of money so you’d think the tests would be very stringent, there’s no cutting corners if clubs are parting with large fees. But it’s just so strange that players are passing away or having to retire with all the same sorts of problems.
“Is anything actually being done? Is it being looked into? We need to nail it down and get to the bottom of why and what it is, because it seems to be happening to more and more professional footballers - fit, strong men.”
The footballing world paid tribute to Tiote who left United back in January after six and a half years. Magpies’ manager Rafa Benitez described him as a ‘true professional, dedicated and above all a great man.’
Cole has suffered his own health issues of late and underwent a kidney transplant earlier this year.