Ex-Newcastle and Chelsea winger Christian Atsu has been found dead almost two weeks after the devastating earthquake in Turkey.
The body of the Ghanaian was found under the rubble of the building where he had been living while playing for Turkish Super Lig club Hatayspor.
Following the quake, Hatayspor initially stated that Atsu had been rescued – but it soon transpired that his whereabouts remained unknown.
And on Saturday morning, Atsu's agent Nana Sechere broke the tragic news that the 31-year-old had lost his life in the disaster, tweeting:
"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.
"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."
Reacting to the news, Hatayspor tweeted: "There are no words to describe our sadness. We will not forget you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, beautiful person.
Atsu began his career with Porto, before joining Chelsea in 2013. While with the Blues, he had loan spells at Everton, Bournemouth and Newcastle – signing permanently in 2017 for the latter, for whom he made more appearances than any other club. He won 65 caps for Ghana, featuring at the 2014 World Cup.
In a tweet, Newcastle said that they were "profoundly saddened" to hear of Atsu's death, paying tribute to "a talented player and a special person".
