Tributes pour in for late Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery
Bradley Lowery, the 6-year-old Sunderland supporter who developed a close relationship with forward Jermain Defoe, has died following his long battle against cancer.
Lowery's family confirmed his passing Friday afternoon with a message on his fundraising page on Facebook that read:
My brave boy has went with the angels today 07/07/17 at 13:35, in mammy and daddies arms surrounded by his family.
He was our little superhero and put the biggest fight up but he was needed else where.
There are no words to describe how heart broken we are.
Thank you everyone for all your support and kind words.
Sleep tight baby boy and fly high with them angels
Lowery, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma when he was 18-months-old, appeared at football stadiums throughout England last season, and stood hand-in-hand alongside his "best mate" Defoe when the two lead the English national team out of the tunnel at Wembley Stadium in March ahead of a World Cup qualifier.
Tributes from around the football world poured in shortly after news of his passing emerged:
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