NATHAN AKE HAS revealed his father died moments after watching the Manchester City defender score his first Champions League goal on Wednesday.
Ake opened the scoring as City began their latest Champions League campaign with a 6-3 victory over German side RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium.
Ake had been handed a starting role after fellow centre-backs John Stones and Aymeric Laporte were ruled out through injury.
In a moving social media post, the 26-year-old has now revealed the game was one of the last things his terminally ill father saw.
Ake wrote on Instagram: “The past few weeks have been the toughest of my life, my dad has been very ill and there was no more treatment possible. I was lucky to have a lot of support from my fiancee, family and friends.
“Yesterday after a difficult time I scored my first Champions League goal, and only a few minutes after he passed away peacefully with my mum and brother by his side.
“Maybe it was meant to be, watching me play always made him proud and happy. I know you’re always with me, you will always be in my heart and this one was for you dad.”
Ake spoke to media immediately after the game, giving no indication of his difficult personal situation.
City led from the 16th minute after Ake headed in a corner from the impressive Jack Grealish. A Nordi Mukiele own goal doubled their lead but the hosts did not have things all their own way in the Group A opener.
Riyad Mahrez, Grealish, Joao Cancelo and Gabriel Jesus all got on the scoresheet for City but their efforts were interspersed by a well-taken hat-trick from Christopher Nkunku. It was only after former City defender Angelino was sent off 11 minutes from time that the game was made safe.
Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey discuss Ireland’s World Cup qualification campaign, the dressing-room debacle which overshadowed the interpros, and where Irish women’s rugby goes from here.
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
