17 January 2023 , 18:58
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England and Arsenal footballer Beth Mead has thanked those closest to her, as well as the wider footballing world, for their support following the passing of her mum.
The 27-year-old shared the heartbreaking update on social media last week and confirmed her mum, June, had died on January 7 following a battle with ovarian cancer. Messages of support quickly followed, including a touching tribute from the men's team, who shared a photo on social media of the squad in their dressing room with a shirt that read 'Thinking of you Beth'.
Mead shared a further message on social media on Tuesday, saying: "I just want to take a minute to thank family, friends and the footballing world for the love & support since the passing of my mum. It means the world to me and my family during this difficult time. Much love."
In a statement shared on Instagram last week, Mead wrote: "Thought long and hard about what to write but there will never be any words that will do justice.
"At 1am on the 7th of Jan, our beautiful, kind, funny Mum & Wife passed away after a long & brave battle against Ovarian Cancer. She was surrounded by myself, my brother & dad as she passed away peacefully.
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"Our hearts are broken, there will be a piece missing forever but heaven has now gained a special angel. If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever. I’m sad that you are gone, but I’m more grateful for the time we had together."
The team also wore black armbands in their 1-1 draw against Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday, to pay tribute to Mead's mum. Manager Jonas Eidevall confirmed before the game: “I want to send my condolences to Beth and her family with the loss of her mother.
“It’s obviously something that has been taking a lot of energy for us as a team to have a player who goes through that. The players have asked to wear black armbands to honour that.”
You can find more information on ovarian cancer from the NHS here.