Tragedy as talented young footballer, 17, dies after feeling ill during match

07 February 2024 , 13:22

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Wycombe Wanderers are mourning the tragic passing of Adam Ankers (Image: Wycombe Wanderers)

Wycombe Wanderers plan to pay tribute to 17-year-old Adam Ankers, with the football club having been left devastated by his tragic death.

Ankers passed away in hospital on Monday. An aspiring footballer with his boyhood club, for whom he was a season ticket holder, attending matches alongside his father, brother and sister, he had become ill last week while playing in a match for the club's foundation Under-19s team.

His father, Alastair, declared on Tuesday the sad news about his death, writing on social media: "Yesterday we lost my son Adam, who passed away after playing football, the sport he loved.

"We love him so much and the loss is devastating. He will always be with us and never forgotten."

Wanderers' first-team boss Matt Bloomfield said: “I was deeply shocked to hear the news that Adam was taken ill last week while playing the game he loves, and he has been in our thoughts since as we hoped and prayed for his recovery.

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“We are all extremely saddened to learn that he wasn’t able to pull through and our deepest condolences are with his friends, team-mates and family at this awful time.”

Mark Gaitskell, Chief Executive of Wycombe Wanderers Foundation, said: “This has been an extremely distressing time for everyone involved with the Foundation as we mourn the tragic death of a talented, popular and much-loved young man.

“The news that he had passed away on Monday has hit everybody hard and we are collecting our thoughts about how, in due course, we can best pay tribute to Adam and create a legacy in his name.

“For now, we send our love, warmth and deepest condolences to his family and friends, and offer the full support of everyone at Wycombe Wanderers with anything we can do to be of help, or comfort at this incredibly difficult time.”

Wycombe will pay tribute to Adam when they meet League One opponents Oxford United in their next home game at Adams Park on February 17.

Alex Richards