Arsenal have paid tribute to the ‘fiercely determined’ Billy Vigar with his former Gunners teammates sharing their memories after the footballer’s tragic death.
Vigar, 21, died on Thursday after suffering a ‘serious brain injury’ while playing for his team Chichester City last weekend.
The striker is believed to have collided with a concrete wall while trying to keep the ball in play. The Isthmian League Premier Division match was abandoned after just 13 minutes.
Chichester announced his death on Thursday evening.
Vigar joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of 14 and signed his first professional contract with the Gunners in July 2022.
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He trained with the first-team aged just 16 and made appearances for the club’s Under-18 and Under-21 sides.
Vigar was part of the scholarship intake at Arsenal alongside Charles Sagoe Jr and Remy Mitchell, who are still at the club.
Following the tragic news, Sagoe Jr and Mitchell paid tribute to their former teammate. Both players shared pictures of them playing together for Arsenal’s youth team, celebrating success in various youth competitions as teenagers with the message ‘rest in peace, Billy.’
Charlie Patino, who left Arsenal last year and now plays in Spain with Deportivo la Coruna, is another former teammate who shared pictures of the two together in their days training in the Arsenal academy.
In a lengthy statement chronicling his career at the club, Arsenal spoke warmly of their former player.
‘Everyone at Arsenal Football Club is deeply sorry to hear of the tragic passing of Chichester City forward and former Arsenal academy player, Billy Vigar,’ their statement said.
‘Billy joined our academy on schoolboy terms aged 14, after being scouted at his hometown club Hove Rivervale FC and excelled as a striker at Hale End, scoring 17 goals in his debut season. In 2020, his performances earned him a scholarship and joined us full-time for the 2020/21 season, his intake including current players Charles Sagoe Jr, Remy Mitchell and others such as Omari Hutchinson, Charlie Patino and Brook Norton-Cuffy.
‘Quick, powerful and fiercely determined, his first season as a scholar was blighted by a serious hamstring injury, but he made up for it in his second, scoring four goals in 18 under-18 appearances and signed professional terms for the club at the end of that 2021/22 season.
‘Billy went on to appear for us in the PL2 and EFL Trophy and proved to be an asset across the forward positions and even deputised in defence – his versatility illustrating his commitment to the coaching staff and his team.
‘He enjoyed loan spells at Derby County and Eastbourne Borough and at the end of the 2023/24 season, headed back to his native south coast, signing for Hastings United – prior to a move to Chichester just last month.
‘As well as his significant talent, Billy will always be remembered for his love of the game, pride at representing our football club – he once called the day he was spotted by our scouts as ’the most Important of his life’ – and a character beloved by teammates and coaches alike.
‘Our deepest condolences go out to the Vigar family and his many friends at this extremely difficult time.’
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