The family of a promising footballer who died on holiday in Spain today paid tribute to a “humble role model”.
Alex Stephens, from Willesden, died last Wednesday after flying to Barcelona with friends for a music festival.
The 21-year-old defender was picked out by talent scouts for Watford FC aged 10 and had a spell at former Premiership club Norwich City between 2009 and 2011 before becoming a first team player for AFC Wembley.
Today his “devastated” family were in Spain arranging for the repatriation of his body.
It was revealed that Mr Stephens died in “a fall.”
A local police source said: “The tourist died as the result of a fall from a fourth-floor in Barcelona’s Ciutat Vella area.
He was already dead when his body was discovered around 10.15am on June 18.”
Local police are not treating his death as suspicious.
His cousin Darren Joseph, 32, who is alsoa club co-ordinator for Wembley, said: “He was a really down to earth, humble family person. He would do anything for his family and friends.
“It’s such a shock and the family are devastated. His life has been taken so soon and he was just coming into his own. He had such a love of the game and had dedicated himself to it. He was such an integral part of people’s lives. His niece and nephew and younger cousins and many others looked up to him as a role model.”
Mr Stephens’s spell at Norwich was plagued by injury, and he began playing for Wembley last season while studying to become a plumber.
Norwich City’s academy manager Ricky Martin said: “He was a bubbly and easy-going lad, very well-liked.”
His mother Faye and father Andrew were said to be in Spain as tributes poured in on social media for the footballer, who had two older sisters.
Jamar Loza tweeted: “Such a nice guy taken too soon” and Jack Reeve posted: “A superb player.”
