The brother of former Wythenshawe Town FC player Ross Aikenhead has shared a gutwrenching tribute to his younger sibling who tragically died last week.
Aikenhead, from Sale in Trafford, was found unresponsive on Saturday, 30 March morning and paramedics said he had suffered a seizure before he passed away overnight. Ross had suffered from epilepsy for the past decade. He was just 24 years old.
Described as a “terrific footballer” and a “beautiful boy with an infectious smile” by his dad John, fellow non-league clubs and loved ones, countless football fans and Greater Mancunians have been paying their respects on social media.
None more heartbreaking, though, than the lengthy statement written by his older brother Luke, who paid a truly touching tribute to the carefree soul.
Starting off by stating that the emotions are “like nothing I have ever experienced before”, he said his thoughts have already turned to how difficult birthdays and holidays are going to be, recognising that “life will never again be normal”.
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Going on to admit that he is unsure of how he and his family will deal with the loss, he said, “This is ok. In a way, I wouldn’t want it any other way. As deep as the pain is, it makes sense. It shows me what Ross means to me and the love I have for him, and this provides much more solace”.
Continuing to write in an unbelievably eloquent manner given how raw Ross’ death still is, Aikenhead went on to reference heartwarming anecdotes that paint a perfectly human and everyday existence, joking that on his final night, he was “excited to go home and eat an Easter egg”, adding that “he left the world blissfully unaware and that is befitting”.
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He summed up his younger brother by saying that while he will “never know of the goals he will score, the nephews and nieces he will miss” and the holidays he’ll never go on, he never sweated the small stuff in life and, as his dad reassured him, he’ll go on to “be more Ross” – i.e. losing stuff, being late and putting ketchup on his Sunday dinner.
Luke signs off by confessing: “In true brotherly fashion, it was rare I told Ross I loved him, but he knew and that’s enough for me… To have three brothers with three separate friendship groups that have all come together to form one big, weird, daft group is a rare and beautiful thing”.
We won’t recite his admirably vulnerable letter but sincerely urge you to read it in full; it’s a very emotional read but serves as a great reminder to treasure those close to you every second you get.
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Ross Aikenhead was also a cousin of local boxer Pat Brown, who recently qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, with the fellow Sale native sharing Winsford FC’s tribute on his Instagram story.
Rest in peace to a lovely young man who seems to have overwhelmingly left a positive and lasting impression on everyone he met.
Featured Images — Wythenshawe FC/Winsford United (via X)
Sport
Wayne Rooney joins the cast of Gary Neville’s The Overlap
Danny Jones
Wayne Rooney has secured a new job just a few months on from departing as Birmingham City head coach, with the Manchester United and England legend being named as the latest member of The Overlap team.
Set to join the cast of the popular Stick to Football online series alongside the likes of former teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane, as well as the rest of the recurring panel.
Rooney is also set to feature on various other shows across The Overlap channel, including the likes of their regular fan debates and other interviews with athletes and well-known figures.
They announced the signing in true transfer window fashion as well.
As transfer expert Fabrizio Romano quips in the video, Rooney “has signed an agreement with The Overlap” and is expected to make his debut very soon
‘Wazza’ has appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports in recent weeks and has even been spotted playing some FIFA with comedy YouTuber AngryGinge as part of his pro clubs series, but hasn’t been in a steady role since being sacked as the Birmingham manager at the start of the year.
Having already appeared as a guest in one of the most popular episodes of Stick to Football and clearly sharing a strong chemistry with his old friends – as well as the likes of fellow Scouser Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Ian Wright – it looks to be a natural fit for the sport-based channel.
The 38-year-old revealed some pretty interesting details about his playing and managerial career last time around, not to mention some of the other offers he’s had since…
Rooney reiterated during his own interview that his primary focus is still on coaching and finding his next managerial role, but for the time being, he’ll be bringing the insight of another ex-pro to the popular YouTube channel.
Speaking on his latest move, the former striker said, “I’m excited to announce that I will be joining my good mate Gary Neville and the team at The Overlap to appear on the channel across some of their brilliant shows on YouTube and the podcast. I can’t wait to get started”.
With an episode from at least one of their series going out most weeks, you can expect to see the footballing legend back on the channel soon.
Featured Images — The Overlap/Wayne Rooney (via Instagram)
Sport
Manchester City star Erling Haaland is now a playable character in Clash of Clans mobile game
Danny Jones
In yet more proof that footballers just live in an entirely different world from us, Manchester City star Erling Haaland has popped up in the popular mobile game, Clash of Clans – and it’s not just a little cameoeither.
Haaland‘s no stranger to the odd brand deal, so when we saw him cutting a promo for Clash of Clans we weren’t too surprised, but it’s safe to say we weren’t expecting to see footballers pop up in video games besides FIFA (sorry, EA FC) at any point this year.
The big number nine is not just a famous face to help push the already hugely popular mobile strategy and city-building game, they don’t need it; it turns out the lethal goalscorer is now going to be an actual playable character in the latest Clash of Clans update.
He even turned his hand to a bit of acting in the trailer:
As you can see, the 23-year-old stars in the new advert which sees troops appear in his home whilst he’s playing the game before being sucked into the game world.
Starring as the Barbarian King, he’s the first real person to ever feature in the game and will be available through a month-long football-themed seasonal event in-game.
When we stop and think about it, the Norwegian striker is pretty much a perfect fit given his Scandinavian heritage and the obvious Viking theme surrounding the franchise – not to mention the fact that he’s apparently been playing the game since he was 10.
He’s also been dropping a hint or two of late, in case you didn’t pick up on them.
Speaking on the collaboration, Haaland said: “I’ve been a huge fan of the game for a long time and know everything about it, so to appear as an in-game character is really cool”.
As for Finnish developer-publishers Supercell, CoC’s general manager Stuart McGaw said in an official announcement: “When we heard Erling Haaland was a fan of our game and that he wanted to partner with us, it was really a dream scenario.”
Haaland will be available to recruit in the game until 31 May, plus, if players raid his village and take down the Barbarian King himself, they can win additional rewards and a place on the leaderboards.
Danny Jones -
5th April 2024 
