A goalkeeper from West Ham’s youth academy has died after being diagnosed with cancer – with a club legend calling him a “true Hammer” and a “fantastic young person”.
Oscar Fairs – the Premier League club’s U15s academy goalkeeper – was diagnosed with a rare 7cm ependymoma brain tumour in August last year.
Despite undergoing seven surgeries, one round of chemotherapy and one round of radiotherapy, the teenager, from Benfleet, Essex, was told palliative care was the only option.
The Premier League side released a statement on Friday announcing, with “deep and profound sadness”, that the teenager had died.
Mark Noble, a former club captain who came up through the youth ranks, and who is now the sporting director, said Oscar, who had been at the club since the age of nine, was “adored by everyone at the academy”.
“Not only was he a great goalkeeper, he was a true Hammer and a fantastic young person, who will be deeply missed by everyone who had the pleasure to know him,” Noble said in a statement released on the club’s website.
“I have wonderful memories of Oscar playing in my garden – Lenny and his teammates all loved him.
“He was a friendly, happy, well-mannered and polite young man, who had such a bright future ahead of him, and it is just so unimaginably devastating that he has been taken from his family and friends at this age.”
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All scheduled academy fixtures this weekend have been postponed as a mark of respect to the teenager.
The club said information would also be shared on plans to pay tribute to him in due course.
Noble added: “The thoughts and sincere condolences of everyone at the club are with Oscar’s parents, Natalie and Russell, and his brother Harry, and we kindly ask that the family’s privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time.
“Rest in peace, brave Oscar.”
Following Oscar’s diagnosis, a GoFundMe page was set up to help the family raise £100,000 towards a treatment trial in France.
West Ham footballers donated £27,000, chairman David Sullivan donated £10,000 and former West Ham star Declan Rice gave £5,000, according to his mother, Natalie.
In an update on the GoFundMe page in September, the family said they had made a payment for the treatment and that it was due to take place over the coming months.