Cyrille Regis made me believe I could make it – Garry Thompson

Thompson was a trainee at Coventry City when Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson broke into the Baggies team in the late 1970s.

He explained how the trio became an inspiration for young black players.

“There were no black players,” said Thompson. “Then Brendon joined Albion, who already had Cyrille and Laurie. It all came together.

“I was an apprentice at Coventry and suddenly I am seeing these people close at hand.

“There was only one other black player at Coventry in the youth. Suddenly there are three of them in the Albion first-team.

“The three of them killed the myths about black players – that we didn’t like the physical nature of the game, or couldn’t play in the cold.

“It made me and many others think, ‘We can do this’.”

Thompson went on to play alongside Regis after joining Albion in February 1983.

“They always say, never meet your heroes but where Cyrille was concerned that could not be further from the truth,” he said.

“He took me under his wing. He was just a decent bloke, always had time for people.

“As a player, he helped coach me.

“I was the more aggressive of the pair of us. He was always telling me, ‘calm down big man’.

“He played the game with such enjoyment. I envied his spirit. I was just proud to be alongside the big man.

“He was the best I played with. I played with Ian Wright, Les Ferdinand.

“But with Cyrille, you are talking about a different calibre of player, striker and man.”

Thompson and Regis remained close and like many others in the football community, he was left stunned by news of his death yesterday morning.

“It’s just impossible to get your head around,” he said. “I got a text message and just sat there reading it again. You think ‘no, it can’t be’.

“Cyrille had that aura when he walked in to a room. It’s funny, I would be having a conversation with someone and Cyrille would walk in behind.

“You felt the atmosphere change. I would say ‘he’s arrived hasn’t he’.

“I used to wind him up about it. He would always used to smile say to me ‘It’s just the way it is, big man’.

“I just liked the fact I was close to a great. I played with a legend.”