Northern Ireland Premiership
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English professional footballer Michael Newberry has died aged just 27. This was announced by his club, the Northern Irish first division club Cliftonville FC. The Belfast club said they were shocked by Newberry’s sudden death. The defender reportedly died on his birthday.
Both Cliftonville and Newberry’s former club Linfield postponed their league games scheduled for Monday following the sad news. “Our deepest condolences go out to Michael’s family and friends, as well as the many teammates he played with throughout his career,” Cliftonville said, “and to the fans who will be affected and devastated by this heartbreaking news during this difficult time.”
Newberry, who was born in Newcastle, England, but played for the Northern Ireland U21 national team in his youth, began his career at Newcastle United. He was considered a great talent at the time, but never made it to the pros with the Magpies. He played, among others, in Iceland for Víkingur Ólafsvík and in Northern Ireland for Linfield FC. He only moved to Cliftonville FC in the summer.