English Premier League Club West Ham United have announced that Dylan Tombides will have his memory immortalised alongside fellow club legends at their new stadium.
The former Olyroo, who passed away in April 2014 after a brave battle with testicular cancer, will have his name carved into stone as a part of the new Champions Place landmark outside the Olympic Stadium, where the Hammers will play their football from next season.
The touching gesture is made that more meaningful with the West Ham faithful voting for who should appear in the Champions place, an indication that Tombides is still well alive in the memories of West Ham fans.
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“The dearly departed Dylan Tombides completes the line-up [for Champions Place], as the second anniversary of his tragic passing approaches. The prodigiously talented Dylan, who lost his brave battle with testicular cancer in April 2014, will forever be remembered with great affection by the club he loved,” read a statement from the club.
The kind gesture by the Irons follows on from their decision to retire his No.38 playing strip, an honour previously bestowed only on club legend Bobby Moore who had his No.6 jersey retired.
The striker joined the Hammers when he was aged 15 and would go on to make one appearance for the senior side, as an 84th minute substitute in a 4-1 League Cup defeat to Wigan Athletic.
The stone is not the first memorial following Tombides’ tragic passing, with a statue erected in his honour outside of NIB Stadium in Perth, depicting his famous goal celebration at the 2011 Under-17 World Cup where his shin guard read ‘Happy Birthday Mum X’.
The inscription underneath the statue of the former West Ham youth products reads, Tombides “stands here as a symbol of inspiration, courage and determination’.
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