A family have paid moving tribute to a "caring" young man after his sudden death. Jamie Wynne, a talented footballer for Connah's Quay Town, died last Friday at the age of 28.
Parents Darren and Dawn said the death of the former Wales under-18s player has left their world "turned upside down". The family have shared with WalesOnline their memories of Jamie's life.
Jamie's younger brother Ben said: "He was such a loving and caring individual, in which he shared such a special and unbreakable bond with both his parents. He would spend hours at Cheshire Oaks shopping with his mum and he adored going to the races with his dad.
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"As a family, we hold an uncountable amount of happy memories such as holidays, days out and a weekly Sunday roast — which he always enjoyed but would never admit they were the best he had. But I knew by that constant cheeky grin on his face they were his favourite.
"Jamie was extremely quick-witted and held a remarkable sense of humour. He would always burst out with some comical one-liners, but would never finish it because of his infectious giggling."
Early in his footballing career, the defender and midfielder played in the Cymru Premier for Connah’s Quay Nomads. He had a lifelong passion for the game, said the family in their tribute.
"As soon as Jamie could walk, he could kick a football around, which flourished into many of his happy childhood years, where he spent early mornings to late evenings playing football in our street," they said. "Of course that didn’t change when he hit his teen years, as he enjoyed taking the nets to Wepre Park to spend every minute of summer playing football.
"We spent many of our weekends travelling around the country taking both Jamie and Ben to football matches, and trips away with their football teams. We have plenty of very cherished and unforgettable memories that can never be taken from us."
Ben added: "People thought me and Jamie were twins, and more often than not, they would get us mixed up. Although Jamie was three years older than me, it very much felt like he was my twin. We were inseparable, especially when it came to football.
"Whether that be watching Liverpool FC around the world together or playing football, a simple five-a-side match — which was the last memory we shared together — we always had a fantastic time. Jamie was always up for a laugh and you could tell that everyone thoroughly enjoyed being in his company, and he was well and truly loved and admired by all that knew him.
"Jamie was the best uncle to my daughter Poppy, otherwise known as Uncle Jay-Jay. She loved playing in garden with him and him always being so silly with her. And because we were fortunate to still live at home with our mum and dad, the house was full of constant love and laughter."
The family has been touched by an outpouring of support from Jamie's friends and the football clubs in Connah's Quay. Almost 1,000 people attended as Nomads paid tribute to Jamie at Tuesday night's 1-0 victory over Holywell, with players wearing black armbands and a minute's applause. All proceeds from the game were donated to the Wynne family.
Ben said: "Jamie was a significant part of football and played at all levels. He played for Connah's Quay Nomads at the highest level in Wales, at the sharp age of 18. You could see the passion and true quality he possessed and he was a player you would have definitely wanted on your team.
"Jamie enjoyed playing for his latest team, Connah's Quay Town. He was a proud Quay lad through and through, and it was also amazing to see the bond he had with the local lads and the way they celebrated during the many social events he had with them all.
"He even got me to come out of retirement recently to play for Connah's Quay Town. This was our last game together and Jamie’s final game. I kept a clean sheet and I was so chuffed. And of course, typical Jamie came on and took the limelight by scoring the only goal which went on to win us the game. After the game, we came home and laughed about it together.
"Jamie adored his horse racing and everyone who had the honour of knowing him would have been told about 'baby Frankel's' bets. Jamie was passionate about his clothes and trainers and he would often come tell me what deal or bargain he had got. If I had something delivered, he would be straight away looking into the bag as we both took major pride in our clothes. Jamie was due to have a new car delivered in October, which he was so excited about. He would tell us something new about it absolutely every day, as he’d been without a car for the past three months."
The family have been "filled with so much comfort" to hear Jamie's friends Ash and Andy's stories from their time at University of Central Lancashire. "They remained best friends long after graduating and frequently met up," said Ben. "I would also like to give mention to Jamie’s best friend Jack Sargeant [Senedd Member for Alyn and Deeside]. He was a huge influence in Jamie’s life for as long as I can remember. Jamie dearly loved every single one of his friends and it is clear how much they all loved him."
Ben added: "Jamie was a sensational brother to me, a remarkable son to our mum and dad, a loving uncle Jay-Jay to his niece Poppy, and a caring grandson to our nan and grandad Jean and Dave Fox. Jamie loved all his family. And most importantly of all, Jamie was a friend who was there for everyone.
"As the song goes, 'He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother', will stay with me forever. You’ll Never Walk Alone, Jamie Wynne. Rest in Peace x."
Jamie coached with the Nomads academy after coming through the ranks. The club said in a statement: "Jamie was a key part of our early academy years at the club, winning the U19 league for the first time and also making a handful of appearances for the first team before also going on to be an academy coach. Our condolences go to Jamie’s family, his parents Darren and Dawn and brother Ben."
And Connah's Quay Town said: "Everyone involved with Connah's Quay Town FC is totally gutted by the news that Jamie Wynne passed away. Our sincere condolences go to Jamie’s parents Darren and Dawn and brother Ben. A fantastic player and an even better person, you will be deeply missed by all Jamie. YNWA (You'll Never Walk Alone)."
A fundraiser started by Jamie's friend Leighton Sumner has raised almost £8,000 for the Wynne family. You can read more news from North Wales here.
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