Brest manager Eric Roy has died at the age of 58, the French Ligue 1 club have announced.

A statement by Roy’s family said the former Sunderland midfielder had been fighting pancreatic cancer for three and a half years.

The Frenchman, who was sporting director at Watford in 2019 when the club were in the Premier League, joined Brest in January 2023 and guided them to Champions League qualification for the 2024-25 season – their first ever campaign in Europe.

“It is difficult to find the words to express all the sadness we feel following the passing of our coach Eric Roy,” Brest wrote on X.

“The president, the management, and the entire Stade Brestois 29 share the pain of his family, his wife, his two children, as well as all his loved ones.”

His family wrote: “Dad was deeply kind, tender, upright, and honest. He knew how to encourage, to pass on knowledge, to push others to surpass themselves, to become the best version of themselves.

“He had that demanding nature, that fairness, and that humanity.”

Roy, who also played for and managed French side Nice, scored one goal during 27 appearances for Sunderland during the 1999-2000 season.