Virgil van Dijk sends touching message to Sol Bamba's family after tragic death

Following the tragic passing of former Leeds, Cardiff and Middlesbrough defender Sol Bamba at the age of 39, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has paid a touching tribute to him , calling him "one of the good guys" in football.

Bamba, revered for his time especially at Cardiff City, faced Liverpool's center-back during his days in the Welsh capital. Van Dijk shared heartfelt words saying: "When I read the news it was quite tough. I played against him and had conversations with him.

"I just want to say 'rest in peace'. He's far too young. All the strength goes to his family. Hopefully the Premier League will do something after the international break. He is one of the good guys and his family deserve that."

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Notably, Bamba's fight against non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he overcame in 2021, was highly publicized and received massive support from the football community. Adanaspor, a Turkish side where Bamba was recently working, confirmed the somber news on Saturday night.

Neil Warnock's Cardiff stint saw Bamba's career highlight, where he joined on a free transfer in 2015, scored against Bristol City in his first match, and was pivotal in their promotion bid.

Cardiff announced Bamba's cancer diagnosis in January 2021, celebrating him as "universally" admired by all connected with the club. Against odds, he triumphantly returned to play just months later, declaring himself cancer-free after chemotherapy, reports the Mirror .

Chloe Bamba, wife of the admirable Sol Bamba, took to social media to share her heart-wrenching journey as she professed: "For the last few years I have watched Sol fight his cancer head-on with an astounding mental and physical strength and stoicism. Unfortunately, it was never a fair fight and just when things were looking up he took a downturn and finally succumbed on 31 August.

"These years have been indescribably difficult but we still managed to find joy and laughter in it. I've experienced my worst days but also some of my best. Sol accepted his fate as God's will and left this earth knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was loved wholeheartedly. I made sure of that.

"It was an honor to have loved and been loved by Sol. I learned so much from him. He is my hero. My heart is breaking. What a gift, what a gift, what a gift to have been loved by him."