Isla Caton joined Mark Noble as a mascot at the London Stadium in January 2018
(Picture: Getty Images)West Ham will pay tribute to Isla Caton at their Premier League match against Watford on Tuesday night.
Isla passed away in January aged just seven following a brave five-year battle with the rare child cancer neuroblastoma.
Born into a West Ham-supporting family in Hornchurch, Essex, her courageous fight against the illness caught the imagination Hammers fans, who raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to help fund treatment for her in both the UK and Spain.
Players and officials will wear pink armbands and there will be a minute’s applause before kick-off as the club pays its respects.
Isla’s mother Nikki has written a personal message to the West Ham family in the programme, while manager David Moyes and captain Mark Noble will also pay tribute to Isla.
Noble first met Isla in January 2018 when she joined him as a mascot ahead of a Premier League fixture with Bournemouth at London Stadium.
The West Ham captain kept in close contact with Isla’s family and he and team-mate Robert Snodgrass visited her and parents Nicola and Michael in hospital in Barcelona in December 2018.
Following her sad passing, Noble said: “It was devastating to hear the news that Isla has passed away and, on behalf of everyone at the club, I’d like to express my sadness and send condolences to Nikki, Michael and Isla’s loved ones.
“I was first introduced to Isla when I carried her out as our mascot for our Premier League game against Bournemouth in 2018, and it was immediately clear that she was a very special little girl.
“Isla’s incredible bravery and positivity shone through every time I met her, she had a fantastic smile and a love of life that was inspirational. Her battle caught the imagination of us all – the players, the fans, the staff and the board, as well as fans of other clubs.
“The fact that she fought for so long shows just how courageous she was. Something like this makes you realise how cruel and unfair life can be, but also how important it is to be grateful for what we have. Isla managed to inspire so many people, and we are all privileged to have known her.
“Her passing has left all of us feeling heartbroken and empty, but Isla will never be forgotten. She will be one of the West Ham family forever. Rest in peace, little Isla.”
