Latest news with #ViniciusDeOliveira
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Former Man United academy star, 19, died after quitting football amid 'sudden mood change'
A former Manchester United academy player died in February with family having spotted a 'sudden change in his mood', an inquest has heard. Vinicius de Oliveira Cabral de Souza, known as Vini, was found dead in his bedroom at the family home in Walkden on February 20. De Souza has been born in Brazil and grew up in Portugal, before moving to Manchester 10 years ago. Bolton Corner's Court heard that De Souza had been 'disappointed' after being dropped by Man United 's academy in 14. His sister Mayara De Souza told the corner that her brother, who worked in a warehouse and played for Warrington Town, had repeatedly told friends and family 'I let you down'. The Manchester Evening News reported that De Souza's family found it 'unclear' as to why he believed he had 'disappointed' them. De Souza had continued to play football for five years after leaving Man United, but suddenly stopped training with Warrington Town. It was claimed his self-esteem had also been impacted when his acne returned after steroid cream he had been prescribed ran out. When doctors did not prescribe more of the cream, De Souza reportedly bought more online from India, despite his sister telling him not to use it. 'He stopped doing the things that he liked to do such as football, going to the gym and seeing friends,' De Souza's sister told Bolton Coroner's Court. 'He started apologising about the way he treated us and we didn't understand what he meant. 'His best friend as well, he said the same to him and he said he doesn't know why.' Mayara De Souza added that she had told her brother of her concerns that he was depressed last December, but he 'laughed at me'. He reportedly declined to attend an offer of further sessions with a psychotherapist, after attending one in January. De Souza had reportedly booked tickets to travel to Brazil in April, but was found dead in his bedroom. Police concluded he had died as a result of 'self-inflicted means by hanging'. Assistant coroner Stephen Teesdale was satisfied with the verdict and recorded the death as a 'suicide'. 'There's nothing more you could have done, you did everything,' Teesdale told De Souza's sister and father. 'You spotted the problem - depression. You made a plan, you sought professional assistance from a psychotherapist. 'You had a plan to take him to Brazil. There's nothing more you could have done. He had an entirely supportive family. It was to do with how he saw the world.' Warrington FC, following De Souza's death in February, posted a tribute to the teenager. 'The 19-year-old joined the club in 2023 and made an immediate impact with his fantastic technical ability, and has been a prominent part of the club's youth setup,' the club wrote. 'Scorer of the most spectacular goals, Vini was a well respected, much-loved member of the club, and his ability earned him a place training with the first team despite his young age. 'Over the past two seasons, Desouza has contributed 17 goals in 12 assists in 42 appearances from midfield across the Under 18s and Under 21s.' Team-mate Sam Gill added: 'Vini was a well loved and much valued player in our team. He grew into his character as his time at Warrington went on, and all of the lads had so much respect for him. 'He was an extremely talented footballer with so much ability, had a major impact coming in with us and consequently earning his space for training and playing matches with the first team. 'Vini is someone who will be missed dearly, both on the pitch and more importantly his character in the changing rooms and outside of football. We will all miss him and we send our condolences to his family at this difficult time.' The club launched a fundraising campaign to help his family cover funeral costs, with nearly £15,000 raised. Ex-Man United star Jesse Lingard was among those to contribute, with the former England international donating £5,000. For help and support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to
The Sun
21-05-2025
- The Sun
Ex-Man United player, 19, was found dead in bedroom weeks after quitting football – as family pay tribute
HEARTFELT tributes have poured in for an ex-Manchester United star who was found dead in his bedroom just weeks after quitting football, an inquest heard. Vinicius de Oliveira Cabral de Souza, known to loved ones as Vini, tragically died aged 19 three months ago. 2 He was found dead in his bedroom at his family home in Walkden on February 20, the court heard. Vini was born in Brazil and grew up in Portugal before moving to the UK. The young talent played for the Manchester United youth team at one point but was dropped by the Prem big shots when he was 14-years-old. Despite this setback, Vini continued playing football for the next five years and was on the books at Warrington Town FC before his death. However, it was revealed that the teenager had quit football a few months prior to the tragedy, Bolton Coroner's Court heard. Vini's sister, Mayara De Souza, said that she had noticed his mood change and tried to help. She said: "He stopped doing the things that he liked to do such as football, going to the gym and seeing friends. "He started apologising about the way he treated us and we didn't understand what he meant. "His best friend as well, he said the same to him and he said he doesn't know why." The teen's self-esteem had also taken a hit when his acne returned after the steroid cream he had been prescribed had run out. When doctors would not prescribe more of the steroid cream, Vini bought some online from India but his sister told him not to use it. Remembering Gadi Kinda: A Football Star's Legacy and Untimely Passing Vini had booked tickets to travel to Brazil in April, the inquest heard, and was due to return on May 12 before his tragic death. Cops concluded that Vini died as a result of "self-inflicted means by hanging" after finding him dead back in February. The inquest heard that Vini stopped going out with his friends after telling his mum that he had taken drugs at a nightclub on one occasion a few months before his death. A toxicologist's report found no trace of drugs or alcohol in Vini's system when he died. However, Vini said that all of his friends used drugs which led to him feeling more "isolated" in the last few months of his life. Sharing the news of Vini's death in February, Warrington Town FC said: "Scorer of the most spectacular goals, Vini was a well respected, much-loved member of the club, and his ability earned him a place training with the first team despite his young age. "He played for the first team last season in the Cheshire Senior Cup against Cheadle Town, and trained regularly with the first team, appearing in numerous pre-season friendlies over the past couple of seasons." Assistant coroner Stephen Teesdale said he was satisfied that Vini caused his own death and recorded a conclusion of "suicide". Addressing Vini's sister and father at the inquest, Mr Teesdale said: "There's nothing more you could have done. You did everything. "You spotted the problem - depression. You made a plan, you sought professional assistance from a psychotherapist. "You had a plan to take him to Brazil. There's nothing more you could have done. He had an entirely supportive family. It was to do with how he saw the world."
