The sudden death of former Bermuda national team, Hotels International and BAA soccer player Frankie Brewster has left local football in a state of shock.

The aggressive defender, who patrolled inside the box with authority, was pronounced dead at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital on Monday night after suffering a heart attack at his Devonshire residence shortly before he was due to play a Division One darts match for BAA at the BAA clubhouse.

He was 56 years-old.

A BAA stalwart, Brewster was a prominent darts and cricket player as well as golfer, but will be best remembered for his involvement in the senior national football team in the 1970s.

Owner of the popular Pro Shop on Reid Street, he was a member of Bermuda?s star-studded 1980 Pan American Games national squad. He also represented the Island in football at the 1974 and 1978 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Santo Domingo and Columbia.

Saddened by the passing of one of his club?s most distinguished members, BAA president Jon Beard told No one expected this. Frankie was so full of life whenever you saw him. I have known him for over 30 years. He is one of our trustees and development committee members and a person you could always rely upon.?

Brewster is survived by wife Margaret, son Frank jr, daughter Vickie and grandchildren Samantha, Cameron and Kaelin. Another grandson is due in a few months? time.

Beard added: ?Frankie was a fantastic competitor on the field and you couldn?t find a nicer guy off it. He was very tough on the field and a good laugh off.?

News of the former sweeper?s passing sent shock waves throughout the local football fraternity yesterday.

Former national coach Gary Darrell said: ?I?m completely shocked. I never played with him but he was certainly the type of player you hated to play against. He played hard but was always a gentlemen.?

Former Hotels team-mate Ricky Hill added: ?This is absolutely shocking. I can still visualise the sort of person Frankie was. I think I might have played with him for a short period of time. But he was like a thorn in my side whenever I played against him. He was a very solid defender and very strong in the air. It was always a challenge.?

Somerset Trojans coach Dennis Brown also recalled the days when Brewster graced local football venues.

?On behalf of the entire Somerset community, our heart-felt condolences go out to his family. Frankie is a big loss to football,? said Brown. ?He had already retired from the national level when I arrived, but I always admired him coming up as a youngster. He always had a lot of heart and determination to play the game.?

The late footballer played alongside the likes of Wendell (Woolly) Baxter, Robert Calderon, Ralph (Gumbo) Bean sr and Wendell (Joe) Trott on Carlton (Pepe) Dill?s star-studded national squad that qualified for the 1980 Pan Am Games when Bermuda hosted the qualifying tournament at the former National Stadium in Prospect.

?I used to see Frankie pretty much and I always found him the same way. He was a great guy and a good person to be around,? stated Brewster?s former Hotels team-mate Robert Calderon.

Calderon played on Brewster?s 1979-80 Premier Division championship team.

?The guy was an honest football player and when he played for the national team you always knew what you were getting from him,? Calderon added.

?He was just an honest and very good player.?

Former national team assistant coach Roddy Burchall commented: ?Frankie always gave you 110 percent effort. He was tough but a tremendous fellow and the easiest player to work with. He would give it his all until he dropped. I think he was in the same mould as Lance Brown (deceased Trojans utility player), they were both as tough as nails.?

National squad team-mate Wendell Baxter recalled: ?Frankie was a great player, even though he was one of the players who kept me out of the squad at the time. But I appreciated him because he possessed heart, skill and the determination to win.?