FORMER Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear has died at the age of 77, has family have announced in a statement.

Dublin-born Kinnear, who won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup as a player with Tottenham, went on to manage a number of clubs including Newcastle, Luton and Nottingham Forest.

He had been suffering from dementia, having been diagnosed in 2015.

A statement said: “We are sad to announce that Joe passed away peacefully this afternoon surrounded by his family.”

Kinnear, who won 26 caps with the Republic of Ireland during his playing career, joined Tottenham as a teenager in 1963 before making his debut in 1966.

He spent the next decade at White Hart Lane, lifting the FA Cup in 1967, the UEFA Cup in 1972 and the League Cup in both 1971 and 1973, making more than 250 appearances for the club before spending the final season of his playing career at Brighton.

Kinnear began his coaching career in Asia, working in the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, before spells with India and Nepal.

He returned to England to become Dave Mackay’s assistant at Doncaster and would be named Wimbledon boss in 1992.

Kinnear led the Dons to a sixth-placed finish in the top flight in the 1993-94 season, and guided them to the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and League Cup in 1997.

He was a surprise choice to succeed Kevin Keegan as Newcastle manager in September 2008, with Mike Ashley initially appointing him on an interim basis.

His expletive-laden first press conference as Newcastle boss announced his arrival on Tyneside in explosive fashion, and in December 2008, Kinnear was handed the manager's job on a permanent basis to the end of the 2008-09 season.

However, in February 2009, Kinnear was taken to hospital after feeling ill, hours before Newcastle's clash with West Brom. He subsequently had a heart bypass operation, with Chris Hughton stepping in to replace him as Magpies boss, and his managerial contract officially expired in May 2009.

However, that did not prove to be the end of his association with Newcastle as in Ju e 2013, he was controversially named as the club's director of football under Ashley, succeeding Derek Llambias.

He oversaw two unsuccessful transfer windows in the role, before resigning from his position in February 2014.

A Newcastle statement released on X said: "Newcastle United is saddened to learn of the passing of Joe Kinnear at the age of 77.

"Joe worked at the club as both manager and director of football. The thoughts of everyone at NUFC are with Joe’s family and friends at this difficult time."