Parents' heartfelt tribute to much-loved son Thomas who died on 13th birthday
The parents of a teenager from Staffordshire who died suddenly on his 13th birthday have paid tribute to their 'lovely and much-loved' son.
Talented young footballer Thomas Smith died during a family trip to Wales. He had been suffering from meningitis.
His devastated parents Andrew Smith and Emma George, of Hednesford, today said Thomas was passionate about football and cars.
They revealed he was affectionately known as 'Ronnie' to some friends, due to his Ronaldo-style skills on the football pitch.
His father Andrew, aged 38, who is originally from Walsall, today said: "He was modest and unassuming.
"He could do 100 kick-ups with a football – but he would never boast or brag about it.
"He was football-mad and then he fitted everything else in around it.
"He played for the school football team and they won everything."
Thomas was a keen Aston Villa fan and also enjoyed spending time with his friends at Rampz, an indoor skatepark in Cannock, and playing football at Wimblebury Park. He played football for Chasetown Scholars under-13s and had also trained with Heath Hayes. Thomas was fluent in Spanish, having lived in the Canary Islands from the age of five.
He also had an interest in Spanish football and his favourite foreign team was Real Madrid.
The family returned to England when Thomas was 10 and he attended Heath Hayes Primary School, before moving to Kingsmead Technology College, in Hednesford.
His mother Emma, aged 34, added: "He was car and scooter mad too. He was lovely and was much-loved by everybody."
The family today thanked people for their support and asked people who attend Thomas's funeral to wear bright colours or even their favourite football shirt.
Mr Smith added: "We would like to thank everybody for their support and messages. It is very touching to know how loved Thomas was."
Thomas's funeral will be held on June 14 at St Peter's Church in Hednesford at 12.30pm, followed by a service at Stafford Crematorium at 2pm.
Staff at Kingsmead Technology College have also paid tribute to Thomas, describing him as 'a popular young man and a lovely student to teach'.
Friends have paid their respects on social networking site Facebook, while a tree at Kingsmead Technology College has been decorated with poems, pictures and tributes to the youngster.
