Sad news to report, Belgium soccer player Gregory Mertens died Thursday after he collapsed on the field Monday night. He was 24.
The Sporting Lokeren defender was treated during the first half of Monday's reserve-team game with Genk, but he did not recover after he was put on life support.
Apparently, Mertens had a heart condition that no one knew about. When he took his physical a few months ago, he appeared to be healthy.
After collapsing on the field on Monday due to a heart attack, Mertens was put into a medically induced coma. His condition steadily worsened, and his friends and family decided to take him off life support.
The club issued a statement saying:
"The medical staff have done everything to save Gregory, but they finally had to acknowledge their impotence.
"Gregory passed away at around 16:30."
"Gregory was only one and a half years at the club, but in that short time his quiet modesty made him an indispensable person, now we will have to learn to live with the loss."
Mertens is the 15 player in the last two years that has died on the field during a soccer match and the 60th plus player to die on the field in the last 15 years.
