Claudio ‘Gooner Claude’ Callegari with his daughter, Leanne Kell

AN Arsenal super-fan is to be laid to rest today (Friday) as his daughter pays tribute to him and speaks out about the impact of social media on his mental health.

The coffin of Claudio Callegari, known to fans around the world as “Gooner Claude”, will be driven past the Emirates Stadium at 11am as a final salute to his treasured club.

Mr Callegari, who died of a heart condition, was part of a group of fans who rose to fame in the past decade giving unfiltered opinions about their club’s performances on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

However, the 58-year-old battled with depression and anxiety which was often exacerbated by negative comments he would receive, his daughter Leanne Kell told the Tribune.

She said: “He might get a thousand positive messages, but then he would get that one negative message and he would sit for hours on that sofa looking at it over and over again.

“I worried about him from very early because he didn’t have the ability to just say whatever and not care what other people thought. He would respond and bite back all the time.”

Mr Callegari was born in the Whittington hospital and grew up in Tollington Way, Archway, to Italian parents.

He became an Arsenal supporter in 1968 and watched his first game at Highbury in 1972. He held a season ticket there and then at the new Emirates Stadium.

As Ms Kell put it, he “lived and breathed Arsenal” and his job as a private hire taxi driver worked perfectly for him as he could fit his shifts around their fixtures.

Even family events were planned around matches – his grandson’s birthday party in 2014 had to be moved as it clashed with the FA Cup final. The only game he ever missed was against Everton in 2011, which happened to be Arsenal’s 125th anniversary, as it clashed with his daughter’s wedding.

Ms Kell said: “At one point he was furious that he was missing the game, but at the same time he wouldn’t have missed my wedding for the world.

“He came to pick me up from my mum’s that morning and he came in and I walked down the stairs and he cried.

“He was like that all day, he kept saying ‘this is so lovely’. I’m his only child and this was unusual for me.

Mr Callegari appearing on the Arsenal Fan TV channel, where his passionate views on the club made him a favourite with his fellow supporters

“Growing up, if there was an Arsenal game on, then forget it, he wasn’t there. But he was there for my wedding and it was really emotional. I know he loved me dearly and loved his grandkids.”

Mr Callegari’s passion for the club earned him wider recognition after the Arsenal TV channel was set up by former Radio One DJ Robbie Lyle. It became a massive hit with more than a million people tuning in as Mr Lyle held ad-hoc interviews outside football grounds to get immediate reaction from fans.

Mr Callegari was one of the breakout stars of the channel, becoming known as “Gooner Claude” and the “voice of reason” as his often furious reactions to Arsenal’s poorer performances were lapped up by viewers.

Ms Kell said: “People wanted to see my dad get angry, see him lose his temper. He stuck by his team, he loved Arsenal, but he just didn’t sugar-coat his opinions.”

She added: “It’s hard. Ultimately I think he just wanted to be liked. I feel like he was in a constant battle with himself as to whether or not people wanted him to do what he was doing and whether he should be doing it.

“I use the word ‘fame’ lightly, but you get thrown into that world without any warning and it’s so difficult for us all.

“It’s very difficult to manage the expectation.

“Usually with fame and nasty comments you get a life of luxury and we didn’t have that. It was just us.”

Mr Callegari also spoke on camera about the mental health problems he had battled with for much of his life.

His mother, Pierina, died in 2009 and he had struggled to come to terms with losing her.

Ms Kell said: “It’s no secret, and Dad was open about his ongoing mental health issues. I think raising awareness about this is important.”

Lockdown was also very difficult for Mr Callegari as the social interactions involved in following Arsenal were suddenly cut off and it is understood that he sometimes did not take his heart medication.

Tributes have poured in since his death on March 29, with former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell and Little Britain star Matt Lucas among those who have paid their respects.

An Arsenal Fan TV statement said: “We are absolutely devastated to learn of the death of Claude Callegari, one of the channel’s most popular contributors.

“Claude was a much-loved figure during his time on the channel and through his passion for Arsenal was able to connect with fans from around the globe on a meaningful level.”

Ms Kell said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support and the kind messages we have received.

“Dad was loved by so many and it means so much to us to hear the tributes.”

Mr Callegari’s family are raising funds to establish a legacy memorial for him which they are in discussions with Arsenal officials about.

Mr Callegari is survived by his father, daughter and three grandchildren.

• To donate, go to www.uk.gofundme.com/f/official-gooner-claude-memorial