Hendon offer players counselling after Ezekiel Williams dies aged 26

Hendon have offered counselling to players mourning midfielder Ezekiel Williams, whose death has left the non-league club without a match since 2 November. BBC Sport reported on Friday that players and staff are struggling with the loss of the 26-year-old, who had joined the north-west London side only in September.

Williams died in hospital from head injuries following an incident in Milton Keynes. Two men have been charged with murder, according to separate BBC reporting citing Thames Valley Police. The midfielder had previously played for Hastings United, Kettering Town and St Ives Town before moving to Hendon, where colleagues described a generous and quietly spoken team-mate.

The part-time club, based in Kingsbury, competes in the Isthmian League South Central Division, the eighth tier of English football. Chairman Cyrus Cooper told the BBC that the club was finding it difficult to process Williams's death. Midfielder Tashae Andall-Gibbons also described the distress among the players, with their team-mate's loss still central to their thoughts.

Williams had scored against Jersey Bulls on 24 October and started Hendon's 2-0 home defeat by Egham Town three days later. That was his final appearance. Manager Adam Fisher said Williams contacted him afterwards to explain that he would miss training and the next match while visiting a sick relative, but expected to return the following Monday.

Fisher subsequently messaged Williams to check his availability for a London Cup tie against Woodford and received no reply. He told the BBC he learned of the death through social media on Tuesday afternoon and remained at home until Friday, shocked by the news. As he considered how to address his own grieving squad, Fisher watched interviews with Liverpool players discussing the impact of Diogo Jota's death.

Hendon are scheduled to resume playing away at Bedfont Sports on Saturday, 12 days after Williams died. Cooper said putting on their kit without Williams would be an emotional moment for the squad. The return follows a period without games in which the club has mourned together and offered counselling to players trying to come to terms with losing their team-mate.