Mikel Arteta says his thoughts are with the family of former Arsenal player Billy Vigar, who has died after colliding with a concrete barrier during a match last weekend.
Vigar, 21, was playing for Chichester away to Wingate and Finchley on Saturday when the incident occurred as he tried to keep the ball in play.
He suffered a significant brain injury and was taken to hospital where he was placed in an induced coma. Chichester announced on Thursday that he had died.
Vigar joined the Arsenal academy as a 14-year-old and went on to appear for the Gunners in the EFL Trophy.
First-team boss Arteta paid tribute to Vigar at his press conference on Friday and said: ‘It is shocking news.
Get personalised updates on Arsenal everyday
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
‘Straight away you’re thinking about the family, and how difficult it is to go through something like this in a very unexpected way.
‘Hopefully they can understand how it happened, and why it happened, and obviously try to avoid this kind of thing.
‘Really sad news, and our thoughts are with the family and all his loved ones.’
Players, meanwhile, should have the right to expect they are not being ‘put at unnecessary or avoidable risk’, the Professional Footballers’ Association said following Vigar’s tragic death.
The Government and the PFA wrote to the chief executives of the Football Association, the Premier League, the EFL and the National League in June 2023 calling on them to adopt a more proactive approach to player safety in this area, after Bath City’s Alex Fletcher suffered a fractured skull after colliding with an advertising board reinforced with concrete blocks in a match in November 2022.
The PFA’s chief executive Maheta Molango said in a statement issued to the PA news agency it was vital to ensure ‘opportunities to make grounds safer for players have not been missed’.
‘Clearly there needs to be a formal investigation into the incident that has led to Billy Vigar’s tragic death, and it is right that this is allowed to take place so that the full circumstances can be properly established,’ Molango said.
‘All of our thoughts right now are with Billy’s family and friends, and providing whatever support we can to them.
‘When the time is right, we will offer any assistance we can as part of any investigation process, specifically information that may be helpful regarding the safety of players in grounds.
‘That includes sharing concerns we have raised previously around incidents where PFA members have been seriously injured in collisions with perimeter walls and fences, such as that involving Alex Fletcher at Bath City.
‘All footballers should expect to be safe when they go out to play or train, and to not be put at unnecessary and avoidable risk by factors beyond their control.
‘When we previously highlighted potential safety issues in grounds and stadiums, the Sports Minister and I wrote to all the football authorities to urge them to be proactive on this and to make sure all their rules and regulations around player safety were fit for purpose.
‘Again, whilst it is important that a proper investigation is allowed to conclude, we have to ensure that opportunities to make grounds safer for players have not been missed and that players don’t feel that serious incidents involving their safety are necessary to prompt change.’