Footballer's touching gesture for family of life-long Wigan Athletic fan who died at 32

Alexander Dawber, known as Alex, was 32 when he died on August 28 after a two-year battle with oesophageal cancer.

He was a life-long Latics fan, had a season ticket since he was a child and continued travelling to home and away matches even while undergoing chemotherapy.

His brother Jake Dawber said the only things Alex, who lived in Hindley, loved more than Latics were his family and his partner Tanya.

He said: “He would be driving four-and-a-half hours to the other end of the country just to watch an away game. He went to every match.

"His wake was even at Whelan’s bar at the stadium.”

The family plans to build a bar in the back garden of their home in Hawkley Hall in memory of Alex and want to display some of his belongings and items associated to him.

So Jake decided to see if he could secure Wigan Athletic memorabilia to put on display.

He sent messages to a number of players via Instagram and it was Jordan Jones – who moved to Carlisle United last summer – who replied.

He offered to send a Latics shirt he had worn during a match and signed it for Alex. He even turned down Jake’s offer of money to cover the cost of postage.

The Dawber family was overwhelmed when the parcel arrived just a few days later.

Jake, 29, said: “Everybody was crying in the house. The way he has done it is brilliant. My family is so happy.”

He is delighted that Jordan gave them his signed shirt as a tribute to Alex and described him as “an outstanding, thoughtful and generous man”.

"I couldn’t believe that someone would do that,” he said. “He could have pretended he didn’t see the message, but he has given away something he kept, signed it, went to the post office and sent it next day delivery. I offered to send him the money for postage and he wouldn’t take it.

"We are building a memorial bar in the garden and it’s going to be named after Alex. We will have it on display there and have it framed.”