A 15-year-old West Ham goalkeeper has been reported dead on Saturday after being diagnosed with cancer.

According to the BBC, Oscar Fairs, from Benfleet, Essex, who was diagnosed with a rare 7cm (2.8in) ependymoma brain tumour in August 2023, had undergone seven surgeries, one round of chemotherapy, and one round of radiotherapy.

A donation page was also set up to help the family raise £100,000 toward a treatment trial in France.

According to Fairs’ family members, West Ham footballers donated £27,000, chairman David Sullivan donated £10,000, and Arsenal footballer and former West Ham star Declan Rice gave £5,000.

Mark Noble, the club’s sporting director, described Fairs as a youth “with 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.”

Further stating that the youth team goalkeeper was a likable person, he added: “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.”

“I have wonderful memories of Oscar playing in my garden with my son Lenny, and his teammates all loved him,” Mr Noble recalled.

“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,” the club’s sporting director further mentioned.

Many football clubs, players, and former footballers, including Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher, have paid tributes to the 15-year-old on social media.