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Arsenal legend David Seaman has paid tribute to former team-mate Alex Manninger after the 48-year-old died in a road accident in Austria
Arsenal icon David Seaman has paid tribute to his "great friend" and former team-mate Alex Manninger following his death at the age of 48. Manninger, who made 64 appearances for Arsenal and won the Premier League and FA Cup in 1998, has died in a road accident near Salzburg.
Reports in Austria state Manninger's car was in a collision with a train on a level crossing on the Salzburg local railway in Nussdorf am Haunsberg on Thursday morning. Manninger, capped 33 times by Austria, was largely Seaman's understudy at Arsenal.
But he deputised for the former England number one late in the 1997/98 campaign and delivered a string of impressive performances to help Arsenal, in Arsene Wenger's first full season in charge, win a historic double.
"It is devastating news," Seaman told the Press Association. "It is really sad and it is difficult to get your head around it. When I think of Alex Manninger, he was a fantastic goalkeeper for us.
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"He came in and deputised for me during a really critical time to help us win the double. He did amazingly well. He was just a young lad when he broke into the first team.
"For a 20-year-old to come in and play for Arsenal in the way that he did was really special. I was out for quite a few games through injury. He played 13 times, kept a clean sheet in the key 1-0 league win against Manchester United at Old Trafford and saved penalties in our (quarter-final) FA Cup win against West Ham.
"The fans loved him. And I must admit it was touch-and-go as to whether I would get back into the side. He was a massive player for Arsenal."
Manninger, who began his career with RB Salzburg and joined Arsenal for £500,000 from Grazer AK in June 1997, left the Gunners for Espanyol in 2002.
He also had spells in Italy with Torino, Bologna, Siena and Juventus and joined Liverpool on a short-term deal in 2016, but did not make a competitive appearance for the Reds.
Seaman added: "When you looked at him, he was very athletic, had a great spring and made great saves. He was so competitive in the standards that he set himself. He wanted to be the best and if he let a goal in, he wouldn't shut up about it. He never stopped analysing the goals he let in because of how good he wanted to be.
"He was a great friend, too. And like me was a fisherman and we spent many hours together on the lakes. My thoughts are with his wife and young family."
Arsenal paid tribute to their former player, writing on X: "Everyone at Arsenal is shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic passing of former goalkeeper, Alex Manninger. Rest in peace, Alex."
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