West Ham star Dylan Tombides passes away after battle with cancer at the age of 20

West Ham have released a statement confirming the tragic news that Dylan Tombides has passed away

Dylan Tombides was a highly touted youth prospect at West Ham who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2011. He battled the disease and returned to play in 2012, but he suffered a relapse and passed away on Friday afternoon, at the age of just 20-years-old, surrounded by his family. Tombides represented West Ham at youth level as well as playing for Australia at U17s and U22 level, and was being regarded as a very exciting talent, having made his debut for the West Ham senior side in a League Cup game in September of 2012 against Wigan. The statement released from West Ham applauded Dylan for his "amazing resilience and positivity [that] saw him through months of surgery and chemotherapy" and still regularly attending training despite his illness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhZ5ODDS9xY His passing will be remembered this weekend at the match between West Ham and Crystal Palace, and the players will also wear black armbands as a tribute to Tombides.