Former Ajax star and DR Congo international Jody Lukoki passes away aged 29

Former Ajax winger Jody Lukoki has tragically passed away aged just 29, sources close to the player confirmed.

Lukoki came through the Ajax academy and made his debut for the senior side in January 2011. In total he spent three seasons with the Dutch giants, winning the Eredivisie in each season.

However, he struggled to ever really become a regular in Amsterdam and following a loan move to Cambuur, he permanently joined PEC Zwolle in 2014 A year later he moved to Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad winning another trio of league titles, before a spell with Yeni Malatyaspor.

He was most recently with FC Twente and the club's technical director Jan Streur said: "It is unbelievable. At this young age. So sad. This is really terrible. We sympathise with his family and friends."

PEC Zwolle have also paid tribute: "PEC Zwolle has learned with dismay and sadness of the far too early death of former player Jody Lukoki. Lukoki will forever be remembered as PEC Zwolle's first goalscorer in an official European game.

"PEC Zwolle wishes the relatives of Jody Lukoki a lot of strength to bear this enormous loss."

The forward represented the Netherlands at age group level but opted to turn out for DR Congo, the country of his birth as a full international. In total he earned three caps and scored one goal.

Lukoki suffered a serious knee injury at the beginning of this season and has been recovering in recent months, having been released by Twente in February of this year. As of yet the cause of death is unknown.

Once tipped as one of the most exciting Dutch players of his generation, Lukoki was given his full Ajax debut by Frank de Boer and quickly went viral after an incident which saw him nutmeg Feyenoord defender Tim de Cler when the ball had already gone out of play. However, the Ajax boss didn't take favourably to the incident and made him say sorry to his opponent.

"I was still very small and knocked on the door," he recalled in a 2021 interview with Voetbal International. "I didn't know it was going to be such a fuss. The next morning when I woke up, it all went wild."

The 29-year-old, nicknamed "The Son of the Wind" had posted several images of his recovery on his social media, with his latest just a week ago with the caption: "Hard work pays off."