Southampton pay respects following the passing of young youngster Ben Cull
Fans will take part in a tribute to a former youth footballer who has died from a rare bone cancer.
Southampton academy player Ben Cull, 24, had his career cut short when he was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in his knee in 2017.
The 24-year-old, who also played for England Under-16s, was described as an “extremely talented player”.
A minute’s applause will be held on Tuesday ahead of the club’s game against Ipswich Town.
In a statement, the club said: “Ben’s skill on the pitch was complemented by his fantastic attitude and determination off it.
“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Ben’s family, friends and his partner Daisy.”
After his diagnosis, Cull, who joined Saints in 2012, dedicated himself to charity fundraising events for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
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Ex-England star, 24, dies with cancer weeks after proposing to girlfriend
Ben Cull has tragically passed away after a battle with a rare form of bone cancer, with his fiancee Daisy Morrison sharing the news just weeks after the couple got engaged
Former England youth footballer Ben Cull has tragically died at the age of just 24 after a brave battle with cancer.
Ben, who represented England’s U16 side, was forced to retire aged 17 after he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer known as Ewing sarcoma. The diagnosis left him needing a knee replacement and ended his hopes of a career in football even after he got the all clear from doctors in July 2017.
However, the cancer returned with a routine lung scan shortly before Ben and his partner Daisy Morrison were set to visit Paris to celebrate his 21st birthday in 2019, finding an abnormality on his lungs which turned out to be a tumour. He was told by doctors at the time that less than five per cent of patients with his type of cancer live longer than five years after their diagnosis and the couple later set up a GoFundMe which raised over ÂŁ25,000 to allow the couple to fulfil some of Ben’s “bucket list ideas”.
The former Southampton academy prospect also raised over ÂŁ20,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Daisy shared the tragic news of Ben’s passing on social media just weeks after the couple got engaged when he proposed while in hospital.
In a heartbreaking post on Instagram, Daisy wrote: “The hardest goodbye. Yesterday I lost my whole life, my fiance, my soulmate, my person, my entire world. I always hoped and prayed this day would never, ever come. True heartbreak is real, my heart physically hurts and I’ve never felt pain like this.
“My mum and dad couldn’t of picked a better soulmate for me, they adored you, they think of you as a son and are hurting so bad right now. They say you go for someone like your father and god you were like dad, two peas in a pod, the best of friends, couldn’t of wished for a stronger bromance.
“You fought until the very end my darling, I know you did absolutely everything you could to stay and despite suffering so bad you kept going, that I will be forever grateful for, you never gave up, god just had his own plans. One thing I can say for sure is that we made the most of every single second.
“You and I both said we’d rather of met our soulmate and had less time, than lived a whole lifetime without each other. You were the reason I smiled every day, my reason to wake up, you were the first person I’d turn to with a problem. The person I felt safe next to every night, the person who made a whole room laugh, you were my reason for it all, you gave me a purpose.
“The only person I want to speak to right now is you and I can’t do that which breaks me. You’ve told me so many times to be brave for you and never give up and I promise I am going to try. I already miss you so much and will do every single second of every day my darling bow, the cuddles, the kisses, the laughs, messages and everything.
“My heart will never, ever heal from this hole you’ve left. To let you go will always be the toughest thing I’ll ever have to do. Good night baby, I will see you up there one day, we will be reunited again my darling and finish out story as it isn’t over yet.” Southampton also paid tribute to Ben, with the club set to hold a minute’s applause in his memory ahead of their home game against Ipswich on September 19.
The Bone Cancer Research Trust is the leading UK charity dedicated to fighting primary bone cancer. If you would like more information about the different types of primary bone cancer and tumour, visit their website: www.bcrt.org.uk/information. You can also access their free Support & Information Service on 0800 111 4855 or by emailing support@bcrt.org.uk.
