Christian Atsu, a footballer from Turkey, was discovered dead under the rubble of his home almost two weeks after the earthquake, according to his agent.
The Ghana international, 31, has previously played for Premier League clubs Everton, Chelsea, and Newcastle.
Atsu had been missing since the 6 February earthquake that destroyed his apartment in Antakya, Hatay.
“There are no words to express our sorrow,” his Turkish top-flight club Hatayspor tweeted.
“Atsu, we will not forget you. Peace be with you, lovely lady.”
Hatayspor initially reported that Atsu had been rescued “with injuries” in the aftermath of the earthquake, but that position changed a day later.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well-wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning,” his agent Nana Sechere, who has been in Hatay, wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
“My heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and loved ones. I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone for their prayers and support.”
After “nearly two weeks of emotional torture,” Atsu’s body was recovered on Saturday morning, according to the Ghana Football Association.
According to the Ghanaian foreign ministry, Atsu’s elder brother and twin sister were present when his body was discovered.
On Saturday, Atsu’s body was flown back to Ghana for burial.
The ministry expressed its “heartfelt condolences” to the widow and family.
More than 40,000 people are known to have died as a result of the earthquake and aftershocks in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
‘A talented player and a special person’
After a season with Saudi Arabian club Al-Raed, Atsu joined Hatayspor in September and scored the game-winning goal in a Super Lig match on 5 February.
He earned 65 Ghana caps and helped his country reach the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final, where they were defeated on penalties by the Ivory Coast. Atsu was later named tournament player of the year.
Ghana’s men’s team, the Black Stars, paid tribute to the winger in a tweet, writing: “You did a good job for our country and will be remembered fondly. Peace be with you.”
He joined Chelsea from Porto in 2013 and has had loan spells at Everton and Bournemouth.
An initial loan spell at Newcastle in 2016, during which he assisted the club’s promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, was extended in 2017.
Before Newcastle’s game against Liverpool on Saturday, Allan Saint-Maximin paid tribute to his former teammate.
“It’s difficult to explain. “I’m not going to lie, when I arrived at Newcastle, I’d never seen a guy like that before,” Saint-Maximin told Sky Sports.
“He was always offering me advice. He was a very nice guy who was always joking and smiling, whether he played or not.
“He was a wonderful person, which is why I’m sad.”
Former Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez, who was in charge at St James’ Park for just over three years until 2019, said he had spoken with his former player last month.
“We were sharing some messages – it’s very difficult for me to express in English – but I was feeling so bad and I was trying to contact him,” Benitez told Sky Sports.
“Also, I don’t want to forget the rest of the people because there are a lot of people that have been in a really difficult time and I think we have to help in a way and today we have to remember Christian. Very sad.”
Newcastle said the club was “profoundly saddened” by Atsu’s death, calling him “a talented player and a special person, he will always be fondly remembered by our players, staff, and supporters”.
Everton and Chelsea both expressed their “deep sadness” at the news.
On Saturday, there were minutes of applause before Premier League games, and players will also wear black armbands in remembrance.
“He was always grounded, and he had a nice word for everybody,” Ghanaian sports broadcaster Michael Oti Adjei told BBC World Service Sportshour.
“He was a lovely person to deal with and was one heck of a player too. He had a strong left foot and appeared in 65 games for Ghana, scoring more than ten goals. He contributed to the national team.
“When he made his debut, there was talk of Ghana’s Messi getting a nickname. Those who knew him spoke of a young Ghanaian player who had the potential to become one of the best African players of all time.”
