Sir Elton John shares a heartfelt tribute to his friend Graham Taylor

Sir Elton John has posted a moving tribute to Graham Taylor, hours after a family statement confirmed the former England manager had died.

Sir Elton was owner of Watford during Taylor's two spells as the club manager, before the pair shared the title of Honorary Life President. Expressing his sadness at the loss of his friend, Sir Elton has written in an Instagram post that he had shared an 'unbreakable bond' with Taylor. He also recalled how he had transformed his beloved Watford, taking them from the lower leagues to the top flight of English football and into European competition. 'We have become a leading English club because of his managerial wisdom and genius,' he writes. 'This is a sad and dark day for Watford. The club and the town. We will cherish Graham and drown our sorrows in the many brilliant memories he gave us. 'I love you Graham. I will miss you very much.' Sir Elton signs off by sending his thoughts to Taylor's family. Taylor's death was confirmed on Thursday afternoon, with a statement from his family indicating that the 72-year-old had suffered a suspected heart attack. Of the many tributes that will be made to Taylor in the hours and days to come, few will be as moving as the one made by his friend.