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The Australian football community is mourning the loss of youth international Dylan Tombides, who passed away on Friday following a three-year battle with cancer. He was aged 20.
The Perth-born Tombides made the first-team squad at English Premier League club West Ham United while being treated for testicular cancer and represented Australia at U-17 and Under-23 level.
Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop paid tribute to Tombides as an outstanding player of his generation.
“On behalf of the Australian football community, we offer our deepest condolences to Dylan’s family, team mates and friends during this extremely sad time,” said Gallop in a statement released on Friday night.
“The Tombides family has lost a fine young man and Australian football has lost one of its most promising football players. He will be remembered for the courage he showed in his personal battle as much as the prodigious talent he displayed on the football field.”
Tombides played his early football in Perth and Hong Kong, before joining West Ham as a 15-year-old.
After impressive performances for the Hammers at youth and reserve levels, Tombides was named on the bench for the final Premier League fixture of the 2010/11 season against Sunderland.
In June 2011 Tombides was named in Australia’s squad for the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico where his disease was diagnosed in a routine drug test.
Tombides played in all four of Australia’s matches and scored the winning goal against the Cote d’Ivoire in their opening match.
After treatment and months of recovery in London, Tombides battled back to make his West Ham first-team debut off the substitutes’ bench in a League Cup match against Wigan in 2012.
In January this year, he was in the Olyroos squad (Australia U-23) that competed at the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship in Oman.
As a mark of respect, the Central Coast Mariners and Adelaide United will wear black armbands and hold a minute’s silence at Saturday’s A-League elimination final at Gosford.
His death will also be marked by a minute’s applause before West Ham’s home match against Crystal Palace in London this weekend.
West Ham posted a statement on the club’s web site praising his resilience through months of surgery and chemotherapy.
“Away from the pitch, Dylan did a huge amount of work to raise awareness of male cancer, supporting the One for the Boys campaign at a number of high-profile events alongside the likes of Hollywood star Samuel L Jackson, snooker star Jimmy White and fellow Australian Peter Andre.
“Dylan was respected by everyone who knew him for his intelligent views on the game and his larger than life character. He was a loving son, amazing brother and well-respected member of the West Ham squad. He will be hugely missed by everyone who had the honour of knowing him.”
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