The family of Gary Speed expressed their thanks for the ‘‘overwhelming support'' they have received following the death of the Wales manager.

Tributes have poured in for the former Wales, Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United midfielder from across the sporting and political world as football mourns the loss of a hugely popular figure.

Speed's agent Hayden Evans - also the best man at Speed's wedding - spoke outside the family home in Cheshire, where his body was found on Sunday morning. Sources confirmed the 42-year-old Speed was found hanged.

Evans said: ‘‘Gary's family would sincerely like to thank all the people that have sent messages of condolence and tributes in what is a very difficult time.

‘‘We have been overwhelmed by the support and it really has helped.

‘‘We would ask that the family are now given the respect of some privacy to just grieve on their own.''

Cheshire Police said the inquest into Speed's death will be opened at Warrington Coroner's Court today at 3pm.

The FA of Wales have opened a book of condolence, as well as an online version on their website, after being inundated with messages of support following Speed's death.

Speed's former Leeds team-mate Gary McAllister admitted the news of his death ‘‘shook him to the bones'' on Sunday.

McAllister was part of the Leeds team alongside Speed which won the First Division title in 1992 and was a pundit alongside the Welshman on the BBC's Football Focus programme on Saturday afternoon.

‘‘Alan Shearer broke the news to me (on Sunday) and it turned me to jelly,'' McAllister told Sky Sports News, whose presenter Bryn Law later broke down in tears while reporting from outside Elland Road as he relayed an exchange of text messages he had with Speed on Saturday.

‘‘I couldn't believe what he was saying. It shook me to the bones, I was in shock for most of the day.

‘‘Twenty minutes before we went on air on Saturday, he was the normal Gary Speed to me.

"He was very excited about the prospects of the Welsh national team and was upbeat, looking class, immaculately presented. He was a movie star in my eyes.

‘‘There were no signs, nothing to suggest he was troubled. He looked well and things are going well for him at the moment.

"I could never have thought that 10-12 hours after I saw him I'd be getting that news. It's a nightmare.''

He added: ‘‘After (Football Focus) he was talking with Alan (Shearer) and they were discussing some black tie charity event which was coming up.

"I couldn't see anything in Gary that suggested he was depressed or had any feeling of anxiety.

"He was just the Gary Speed that I know.''

McAllister also said Howard Wilkinson - Speed's boss at Elland Road - and former team-mate Gordon Strachan are ‘‘broken'' by the news.

Hartlepool United boss Mick Wadsworth coached Speed at Newcastle United.

"It's devastating news, first and foremost for his family and friends,'' he said.

"He was someone I worked with and I spoke to from time to time and he always made a beeline for me when we saw each other at games.

"He had a fantastic interest in football and was also a keen guitarist as I am so we would chat about that as well as football.

"When I worked with him and got to know him it was clear that he was such a good player with a huge appetite for hard work and winning games.

"He was a real model professional and the perfect gentleman too so this just puts a lot of things into perspective.''

Tony Mowbray last night described how events over the last 48 hours have affected the Middlesbrough dressing room.

The Boro boss said: "Gary Speed has been in the public eye, he was media friendly and someone who we have all grown up watching.

"He had a spectacular career, winning the league title with Leeds and I just remember how dominant he was as a footballer.

"He was not the biggest of players, but he used to leap off the ground and win his headers all the time.

"Danny Coyne would probably have known him best out of our dressing room through the Wales squad, but it's had an effect on us all. It's just so sad. Danny was pretty sombre.

"Sometimes people get very ill and there is a whisper, the ‘c' word comes up and then you hear they have died. You are half prepared for it.

"This hit everybody like a sledgehammer on Sunday.''