Ipswich and England great, Paul Mariner, passes away aged 68

Beginning his career at 

Plymouth Argyle

, the former England striker moved to Ipswich in 1976 after scoring 61 goals in his 155 Plymouth appearances.

Scoring 135 goals in 339 appearances for the Portman Road side, he also has scored 13 goals in the 35 appearances he made for England.

A 

 reads:

"We regretfully inform you that Paul passed away peacefully on 9 July surrounded by his family, after a brief battle with brain cancer.

"We would like to thank all the people who came to see him through his illness for their support and the messages that were sent to him; they meant a great deal to him and us.

"A special thank you must go to the NHS and the unbelievable care that he received when he most needed it and for that we, as a family, will be forever in your debt.

"Paul lived a full life and was fortunate enough to represent a group of fantastic football clubs as well as his country, all of which meant the world to him.

"Anyone who knew Paul will attest to his fantastic sense of humour, his passion for life and his work. He will be sorely missed by everyone who was ever around him and by those most close to him."

 inducted "true great" 

Mariner

 into the club's hall of fame in 2011.

"

It's incredibly sad news and the thoughts of everyone at the club are with Paul's family and friends at this very difficult time,"

said Ipswich chief executive 

Mark Ashton

.

The Three Lions’

 stated their grief in their 

: “

We're sad to have learned that Paul Mariner, who made 35 appearances for the #ThreeLions, has passed away at the age of 68.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family, friends and former clubs.”

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