By Khulile Thwala
English Premier League outfit Newcastle United paid an emotional tribute to Christian Atsu as his tearful wife and children joined a minute’s applause for the former Ghana midfielder after his death in the earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria.
Ex-Newcastle star Atsu was caught under rubble after the 7.8-magnitude quake, which killed more than 43 000 people on February 6. There were initial reports that the 31-year-old had been rescued a day after the quake.
Read More: Christian Atsu found dead after earthquakeÂ
But Atsu’s Agent in Turkey, Murat Uzunmehmet, said the player’s body had been found under the rubble of luxury flats that crumbled in the Turkish southern province of Hatay.
Atsu’s wife, Marie-Claire Rupio and his three children were in the stands at St James’ Park on Saturday to join the tribute to the Ghanian before Newcastle’s Premier League match against Liverpool.
BBC reports that with Atsu’s face displayed on the video scoreboard and fans chanting, “you’ll never walk alone”, Rupio wiped away tears during a moving minute’s applause from the 52 000 capacity crowd as one fan held up a Newcastle shirt bearing the star’s name.
