When you’re a kid, footballers are your heroes.

They seem untouchable, like gods who can do the impossible with a flick of their boot.

Unfortunately as you grow older you learn this isn’t the case.

Footballers aren’t invincible and sometimes tragedy will strike them, just as it would you or me.

The world of football is in a state of mourning at the moment following the untimely death of South Africa and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa.

Meyiwa was reportedly trying to protect his girlfriend from intruders who broke into his home, when he was shot dead.

Here we take a look at other football players who were taken from us far too soon.

By Stuart Hynd – @supers0nic_

 

Duncan Edwards

Arguably, Duncan Edwards had the potential to become one of the greatest Manchester United players of all time, but he lost his life at the age of 21, in the Munich air disaster in 1958.

Returning home from Belgrade after a successful European Cup quarter-final, the aeroplane carrying Edwards and his United team-mates crashed on takeoff after a refueling stop in Munich.

Edwards would later die from his injuries but as he lay in his hospital bed he is believed to have asked assistant manager Jimmy Murphy “What time is the kick off against Wolves, Jimmy? I mustn’t miss that match.”

Bobby Charlton said that Edwards’ death was “the biggest single tragedy ever to happen to Manchester United and English football”

Antonio Puerta

Like Edwards, Sevilla full-back Antonio Puerta was just a young man when he died doing what he loved.

On 25 August 2007, Puerta, collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest during a La Liga match against Getafe CF.

Doctors later reported Puerta died as a result of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, a hereditary heart disease which caused the player to suffer multiple organ failure on the pitch.

His death, at the age of just 22, was made even more tragic when it was reported that his girlfriend was expecting their first child at the time.

Laurie Cunningham

Laurie Cunningham, arguably the first black player to represent the English national team enjoyed a long and eventful career, during which he played for Real Madrid, Marseille and West Brom.

One of very few Madrid players to ever receive leave the Nou Camp to standing ovation, Cunningham was a fantastically underrated talent, but one which was tragically cut short in a car crash in Spain in July 1989.

Cunningham was only 33, and had just helped the unfashionable Rayo Vallecano reach La Liga for the first time when he died.

Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque famously quipped, “I don’t think his qualities were any less than Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Andres Escobar

While we still do not know the details surrounding the tradgedy of Senzo Meyiwa, the tragedy of Andres Escobar is eerily similar.

Escobar was a Columbian international defender, who was horrifically murdered following his passion to represent his country at the 1994 World Cup.

During the World Cup, Escobar scored a calamitous own-goal which saw Columbia eliminated from the competition, five days later the 27-year-old returned home but was shot dead after getting into an argument with some football fans.

It was reported that his killer, Humberto Castro Muñoz – who had lost money with Columbia’s elimination – shouted, “goal” as he shot the player six times.

Marc-Vivien Foe

More than just your average footballer, Marc-Vivien Foe had the type of personality which could light up the darkest of rooms.

Foe represented Lens, Lyon, West Ham United and briefly Manchester City during his career but the 28-year-old died while representing Cameroon against Columbia in the semi-final of the 2003 Confederations Cup.

Foé collapsed in the 72nd minute with no other players near him and after attempts to resuscitate him on the pitch.

Medics spent 45 minutes attempting to restart his heart but he died shortly afterwards with it revealed Foe had a hereditary heart condition which increases the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.

The unexpected nature of his death and the amount of shock which reverberated around the world of football made this a very difficult tragedy to forget.

Piermario Morosini

Unlike some of the other players on this list, Piermario Morosini didn’t play at the highest level.

In fact it’s fair to say the 25-year-old was a true journeyman of Italian football.

Morosini’s young life was blighted with loss, his mother died when he was just fifteen and two years later his father and disabled brother also died. This left Morosini and his elder disabled sister orphaned.

However, Morosini continued to play the game he loved, with most of his wages going toward the care his sister required.

On 14 April 2012, while representing Livorno, Morosini suffered a cardiac arrest and fell to the ground in the 31st minute of the Serie B match against Pescara. Despite being rushed to hospital Morosini died some time later – leaving his sister alone.

In one of the most touching and heartwarming gestures in club football, Udinese (Morosini’s owner) and club legend Antonio Di Natale stepped in and confirmed Morosini’s sister would be looked after by them for the rest of her life.