LYON (AFP) - Former France international forward Stephane Paille, once a teammate of Eric Cantona, has died at the age of 52 following a "devastating illness", press in the city of Lyon announced on Tuesday (June 27).

Newspaper Le Progres reported Paille had died in a Lyon hospital on Tuesday morning.

Paille won eight caps for France in the late 1980s in a career that started at Sochaux and then took him to Montpellier where he played alongside Cantona.

He also had a spell at Lyon in a well-travelled career that took in stints in Portugal and Switzerland and ended in Scotland with Hearts.