Former Newcastle footballer Christian Atsu has died at the age of 31 following the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey.
His body was found 12 days after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria.
The footballer's agent, Nana Sechere, confirmed Atsu's death on Twitter.
"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning," he wrote.
"My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support.
"I ask that whilst we make the necessary arrangements, that everyone would please respect the privacy of the family during this very difficult time."
He made 121 appearances for Newcastle and was part of the team which won promotion back to the Premier League in 2017.
Atsu also had loan spells at Everton and Bournemouth while contracted to Chelsea.
"We are profoundly saddened to learn that Christian Atsu has tragically lost his life in Turkey's devastating earthquakes," Newcastle said in a tweet.
"A talented player and a special person, he will always be fondly remembered by our players, staff and supporters."
Chelsea also tweeted: "Everyone at Chelsea Football Club is devastated to learn of the tragic passing of our former player, Christian Atsu.
"Our thoughts go out to his family and friends."
Former Chelsea captain John Terry shared a picture of Atsu alongside the message: “RIP my friend.”
The number of fatalities in both Turkey and Syria is reported to be over 41,000, at the time of writing.
The death toll is certain to increase further as search teams retrieve more bodies amid the devastation.
The UK Government has promised to give another £25 million towards the relief effort following the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
The £25 million in new overseas aid will fund tents and blankets for families made homeless in freezing conditions, as well as the ongoing deployment of medical expertise at a field hospital in Turkoglu.
The extra aid now brings the UK’s total financial support in the wake of the tragedy to to £42.8 million.
Rishi Sunak said: “The UK Government has already provided considerable aid but I am pleased to announce today that we are actually going to provide £25 million further financial support.
“That is going to go to the United Nations, to British charities, local charities and the Turkish authorities.”
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock
Anish Vij