Former Socceroo Ian Gray was a selfless, loyal man and a formidable player, his friend and former footballer Andy Harper says.
Hundreds of people attended Gray's funeral in Sydney.
The 46-year-old was found dead at his Elizabeth Bay apartment on February 15. Harper, now a Fox Sports presenter, told the funeral Gray also had a wicked sense of humour and was a father figure to those who knew him, particularly through football.
"He was never asked to do any of this, he just did it," Harper said.
"In a world beset by selfishness he was selfless. To him the team was everything.
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"We all loved playing with you, playing for you. Our captain, be still, at rest."
After the ceremony at the Salvation Army Church, Sydney Congress Hall, mourners will move to Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium.
Members of the Maccabi under-15s football team, which Gray was closely associated with, are acting as ushers at the ceremonies.
A 22-year-old Sydney woman has been charged with his manslaughter, accused of having supplied him with heroin before his death.
