The father of ex-Premier League star Wilfred Ndidi has tragically passed away in a car accident. Sunday Ndidi, who served as a soldier in Nigeria, lost his life in a road accident that occurred on Tuesday morning. Besiktas, Ndidi’s current club, confirmed the sad news in an official statement.

The Turkish football giant wrote: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our footballer Wilfred Ndidi’s esteemed father, Sunday Ndidi, in a fatal traffic accident. May Allah grant mercy to the deceased; we extend our condolences to our footballer Wilfred Ndidi, his family, and loved ones.”

Ndidi, 29, transferred to Besiktas from Leicester last summer in a deal worth £10million. The midfielder had a memorable eight-year stint at Leicester, notably aiding them in securing the 2021 FA Cup final victory against Chelsea.

Ndidi made over 300 appearances for the Foxes, with 220 of those matches played in the Premier League. The captain of the Nigerian team was recently seen playing for his country in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite starting four of their first five games, Ndidi sustained an injury which sidelined him from their semi-final match against the host nation, Morocco.

Nigeria were defeated in the match after a penalty shootout, and the 30-year-old did not participate in their third-place play-off against Egypt, which they won on penalties to secure the bronze medal.

The former Leicester midfielder found the net during Nigeria’s 3-2 victory over Tunisia in the group stages. Following the match, Ndidi paid tribute to both his father and ex-Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu, one of Sunday’s iconic figures.

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“It was for Papilo, the legend Kanu Nwankwo,” Ndidi said. “Growing up, my dad was a huge fan of Kanu. In our house, Kanu was the ultimate hero.

“My dad always talked about his grace, his goals, and how he represented Nigeria. I actually told myself before the game that if I scored, I had to do it for my dad. He’s the one who pushed me into football and always told me stories of the greats.

“Celebrating like Kanu in a Super Eagles jersey is my way of saying thank you to my father for all his support and for showing me the way. It’s a very proud moment for my family.”

In 2017, Ndidi revealed the significant role his father played in his career.

“My family were not really into football. My dad wanted me to go to school, not play football,” Ndidi explained to the Leicester Mercury.

“My dad watched it on the television but he didn’t want me to play football. He is a soldier, but he didn’t want me to follow in his footsteps, he just wanted me to go to school.

“I did miss out on some school because of football. When I moved to Nath Boys academy, then I started to miss out on some of my schooling.”