Arsenal star and former West Ham United captain Declan Rice has sent his condolences to the family of the Irons goalkeeper Oscar Fair who died at the age of 15.
Hammers' sporting director Mark Noble revealed in a statement that Fair had sadly passed away after a battle with cancer. "Oscar 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.
"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.
"As a mark of respect, all scheduled Academy fixtures this weekend have been postponed, including this evening’s Premier League 2 Under-21s match against Stoke City. In due course, the club will also share information on our plans to pay tribute to Oscar, and we will ensure that his name is never forgotten at West Ham United.
"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."
Upon hearing the news, Rice shared the Hammers' post on his Instagram account followed with the caption: "Rest in peace Oscar." Carlos Soler, Patrice Evra and Shay Given are among those from football who have also shared their condolences.
Declan Rice pays tribute to West Ham Academy goalkeeper Oscar Fair
Declan Rice pays tribute to West Ham Academy goalkeeper Oscar Fair