Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after an up-and-coming footballer died following an early-hours street assault.
Ezekiel Williams, 26, was seriously injured following the altercation on Midsummer Boulevard in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, just before 2am on November 1.
The Hendon FC midfielder passed away in hospital on Monday afternoon, just ten days after he scored his first goal for the club.
Following his death, Thames Valley Police launched an investigation. In an update on Wednesday, the force said three men had been arrested.
Two men, aged 21 and 28, from Luton have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A third man, aged 30 and also from Luton, has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. All three remain in custody, the force said.
Detective Inspector Rob Underhill said officers were carrying out a 'thorough and extensive investigation to establish exactly what happened'.
He said: 'We recognise this incident will cause concern within the local community.
Ezekiel Williams, 26, was seriously injured in the altercation on Midsummer Boulevard in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, just before 2am on November 1
The Hendon FC midfielder (pictured) passed away from his injuries in hospital on Monday afternoon, just ten days after he scored his first goal for the club
'There will continue to be an increased police presence in and around The Hub and Milton Keynes city centre over the coming days, and I would encourage anybody with concerns to speak with our officers.'
'I am appealing to anyone who was in the area of Midsummer Boulevard and The Hub between 1am and 2am on Sunday morning to come forward if they witnessed anything that could assist our investigation.
'We are particularly keen to hear from anybody who may have mobile phone footage, dash-cam footage or CCTV recordings from the area at the time.
'Even the smallest piece of information could prove vital in helping us piece together the circumstances of this incident.'
Mr Williams's family are being supported by liaison officers, he added.
The arrests come after Hendon FC said it was 'stunned and heartbroken' to announce the death of Mr Williams, known as Eze, in a statement on X.
He was described as a 'humble, unassuming and generous individual with a razor-sharp wit who only 10 days ago had scored his first goal for the club'.
The post continued: 'Eze joined the club in September and quickly established himself as a highly popular member of the dressing room and was beginning to carve a place for himself in midfield with a series of hard-working and selfless displays that summed him up as a person.'
The arrests come after Hendon FC said it was 'stunned and heartbroken' to announce the death of Mr Williams, known as Eze, in a statement on X (pictured)
As a sign of respect, Hendon's London Senior Cup tie against Woodford Town, scheduled for tomorrow, has been postponed.
The club said this would give both the players and management time to process this 'profoundly shocking news'.
Mr Williams was described online as a box-to-box midfielder, who also played for FC Romania, Northwood and Harrow Borough.
Kettering Town FC also paid tribute in a statement: 'Ezekiel showed great leadership qualities from the get-go at his time here and his humble approach made him a highly popular member of the dressing room.
'He was a talented, kind, and a truly inspirational individual who had his faith at the forefront of his heart, and this led him to be the wonderful young man that he was, someone whose warmth touched everyone lucky enough to know him, and whose example will continue to inspire us long after today.'
They added that a GoFundMe had been set up in his memory, and that he would be 'sadly missed' by the footballing community.
Organisers of the fundraiser described Mr Williams as a 'truly special son, brother and friend' who was known for helping others whenever he could.
They wrote: 'If Ezekiel heard of an opportunity, his first thought would be how could this benefit somebody I know and he'd do whatever he could to help.
'He had the purest of hearts, if you ever encountered Ezekiel you would have heard his words of encouragement and felt his infectious positivity.
'A man who never had anything given to him and was prepared to put in the work to achieve his full potential!'
The organisers said Mr Williams had dreamed of becoming a professional football player and had worked 'day in, day out' to achieve this goal.
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