Calcutta: India’s first foreign coach Robert Allison Bootland died of a heart attack in Goa on Wednesday. He was 73 and is survived by wife and two sons.

He was suffering from several health problems of late. It was learnt that he had complained of chest pain in the morning and was rushed to a hospital in Goa.

He breathed his last there. He had been living, in seclusion, in Divar, a small town on the outskirts of Goa.

Bootland, who was popularly known as Bob, coached the senior India team in 1982.

The Newcastle-born Englishman landed in Goa in 1977. But his love affair with the local clubs began soon and proved so strong that he never thought of leaving the city.

He started his coaching career in Dempo. Under his stewardship, the Goan side won the Rovers Cup twice — 1978 and 1986. He also guided JCT to the Durand Cup triumph in 1983.

He also coached Vasco SC and Tata.