Ben Chilwell's father has tragically died following a chronic illness.
Wayne Chilwell, who was present at Chelsea's Champions League triumph in 2021, was battling a health condition but has sadly passed away. Ben's sister, Alex Chilwell, confirmed the news on Monday and admitted it had been a "hard" year for the family as tributes poured in on social media.
Alex said on Instagram : "Love you forever dad. The hardest year but you never stopped smiling. So grateful for the time we got together. I am so lost without you. Look out for me up there. I love you."
Chilwell posted a heartfelt message on Tuesday night and said: "The reason i am where i am. The most loving dad, who always put everyone before himself and made everyone smile and laugh. I am so glad we got to live my dream together, and especially you seeing me make my debut for England.
"But more importantly we shared so many amazing memories away from football which i will remember forever. I will miss you every single day Dad. I love you so much."
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Wayne emigrated to England in 1993 - three years before his son's birth. Ben was born in Milton Keynes and has since gone on to have a successful career in the game. He joined the Leicester academy in 2009, aged 12, after spending some time at local non-league side Rushden & Diamonds.
Ben made his senior Leicester debut in October 2015 when he started the Foxes' League Cup defeat to Hull, before going on to sign for Huddersfield on loan two weeks later. The left-back impressed during his time in West Yorkshire and penned a new five-year deal with Leicester, who had just lifted the Premier League title, in June 2016.
Having become the Foxes' first-choice left-back over Christian Fuchs, Ben progressed into one of England's most sought-after defenders and eventually joined Chelsea in 2020 for around £45million. He was part of the Blues side that beat Manchester City to win the Champions League in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
Earlier this year, Ben spoke about the importance of good mental health after recovering from a long-term knee injury he sustained in November 2021. He said back in March: "I've been talking to someone for a few years now, and I think the stigma around it is silly really, especially with men, and men in football in particular.
"The way it has helped me, I think it can definitely help everyone. The stigma is something that needs to go. Of course, mentally, it is very challenging. All footballers go through periods of their career when things are mentally challenging and you have to be resilient, be strong, go through it and come through the other side stronger.
"That's the way I've tried to look at things like the injuries I've had and missing the World Cup. I'm trying to spin it into a positive situation, so I can better myself mentally and physically, so when I come back playing I'm ready to help Chelsea and England as well."
