Chinese legendary football defender Zhang Enhua died on Thursday at the age of 48 years old, confirmed multiple media outlets. The cause of his death is reportedly related to alcohol.

The tragedy happened only a day after Zhang's 48-year-old birthday.

Zhang spent most of his career playing for Dalian Shide and has been the first choice for right or center back of the national team at all levels. His strong body and brilliant explosiveness gave him everything he needed to beat others in header competitions. He was there with Dalian when they won all seven national championships.

Zhang played for Grimsby Town in the EFL League One (second-division back then) for five months between 2000 and 2001. He made great contributions to the team's success of staying in the league and his performance was recognized by both his manager and teammates.

Having made 59 appearances for the Chinese national team, Zhang scored five goals in total, including the game winner for his country in the FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament game against Saudi Arabia in 1997.

Zhang's leadership was as impressive as his skills and that's why he was the long-time captain of both the club and the national team. He attended the World Cup in 2002 as a member of the Chinese national team, though he did not play – Li Weifeng took Zhang's position during that tournament.

Dalian Professional mourned Zhang's death on Weibo, China's Twitter equivalent.

"Rest in peace, my old teammate," posted former national team member Fan Zhiyi.