Three men have been arrested following the suspected murder of a semi-professional footballer.
Ezekiel Williams, 26, died following an assault on Sunday morning in Milton Keynes.
Thames Valley Police detectives launched a murder investigation after the footballer died from his injuries in hospital.
Two men, aged 21 and 28, from Luton, have been arrested on suspicion of his murder.
Another man, 30, has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Williams had been playing his football with Hendon, who compete in the eighth tier of English football.
The midfielder had previously played for Kettering Town, FC Romania, Northwood, Harrow Borough, Ascot United and Hastings United.
Williams scored his first goal for Hendon late last month, as his club paid tribute to the squad member.
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Hendon wrote: “We are stunned and heartbroken to announce the sudden and tragic passing of midfielder Ezekiel Williams yesterday afternoon, aged 26.
“A humble, unassuming and generous individual with a razor-sharp wit, Eze joined the club in September and quickly established himself as a highly popular member of the dressing room and was beginning to carve a place for himself in midfield with a series of hard-working and selfless displays that summed him up as a person.
“Only 10 days ago, he scored his first goal for the club against Jersey Bulls. As a sign of respect, and to allow the players and management time to process this profoundly shocking news, tomorrow’s London Senior Cup tie with Woodford Town has been postponed.
“There has been a GoFundMe page set up in Ezekiel’s memory for anyone who would like to support and donate. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ezekiel’s family, friends, and everyone who knew him at this devastating time. He will be very sadly missed by all of us at Hendon Football Club.”
The GoFundMe pafe has reached nearly £17,000 for the “loving memory of a truly special son, brother and friend”.
Detective Inspector Rob Underhill said: “Our thoughts are first and foremost with Ezekiel’s family and loved ones at this devastating time.
“Specially trained family liaison officers are supporting them as they come to terms with their devastating loss.
“We have made three arrests in connection with this investigation and do not believe that there is any wider risk to the local community.
“We are carrying out a thorough and extensive investigation to establish exactly what happened.
“We recognise this incident will cause concern within the local community. There will continue to be an increased police presence in and around The Hub and Milton Keynes city centre over the coming days, and I would encourage anybody with concerns to speak with our officers.”
Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area of Midsummer Boulevard and The Hub in Milton Keynes between 1am and 2am on Sunday morning to come forward, as well as anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage from the area at the time.
Anyone with information can contact 101 or report it online, quoting reference 43260570882, or report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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