David Seaman pays heartbreaking tribute to Alex Manninger after ex-Arsenal goalkeeper's death

David Seaman pays heartbreaking tribute to Alex Manninger after ex-Arsenal goalkeeper's deathFormer Arsenal and Liverpool goalkeeper Alex Manninger sadly passed away at the age of 48 on Thursday after the Austrian's car was hit by a train near SalzburgCommentsSportPress Association19:52, 16 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesDavid Seaman has paid tribute to Alex Manninger following his death(Image: John Marsh/EMPICS Sport/PA Wire)David Seaman said his “great friend” and former team-mate Alex Manninger will be remembered as a “massive player” in Arsenal’s history following his death at the age of 48.‌Manninger, who made 64 appearances during five years at Arsenal and played a key role in helping the Gunners win both the Premier League and FA Cup in 1998, died in a road accident near Salzburg on Thursday morning.‌According to reports in Austria, Manninger’s car was in a collision with a train on a level crossing on the Salzburg local railway in Nussdorf am Haunsberg.‌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 the double.READ MORE: Ex-Arsenal and Liverpool goalkeeper Alex Manninger dies aged 48 after tragic car accidentREAD MORE: Alex Manninger told emotional Liverpool story in final interview before death“It is devastating news,” Seaman, 62, 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. 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...