Christian Atsu, a soccer forward from Ghana who played for several clubs in the Premier League, died in the catastrophic earthquake that rocked Turkey, his agent said. He was 31.
Atsu, who played for Chelsea, Newcastle, Everton and Bournemouth in the Premier League, joined Turkish club Hatayspor in September and scored the winning goal for his new team on Feb. 5 against Kasimpaşa S.K., ESPN reported. The earthquake, which measured 7.8 in magnitude, hit southern Turkey and northwestern Syria in the predawn hours of Feb. 6 and has killed more than 43,000 people.
“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,” Nana Sechere, one of Atsu’s agents, wrote in a tweet on Saturday. “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.”
Atsu also played on Ghana’s World Cup team in 2014, according to The Washington Post.
The soccer player’s whereabouts had been unknown for more than 10 days, according to the newspaper.
Search teams recovered Atsu’s body from the ruins of a 12-story building in Antakya, The Associated Press reported.
The Ghana Football Association and Hatayspor confirmed that Atsu’s body was found. The club added that the player’s body was being returned to Ghana for a funeral, the Post reported.
“We will not forget you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, beautiful person,” the club tweeted. “There are no words to describe our sadness.”