'Tragedy' EPL Star's Mysterious Death Revealed After '20 Years': "The Reason He Couldn't Speak..."

*This content was translated by AI.

The reason for the sudden death of a promising striker who once played in the English Premier League (EPL) has been revealed. The family of Jeroen Boere, a Dutch striker who played for West Ham United, has finally disclosed the tragic truth they had hidden for 20 years.

The British media outlet 'Daily Mail' reported on the 8th (Korea time) that "Boere died at the age of 39 after suffering from severe depression and alcoholism following his retirement due to losing one eye." The report added, "The family confessed to the full details of the Tokyo bar terror incident they had never dared to reveal, as well as the life that crumbled afterward."

The incident that completely destroyed Boere's life occurred on the night of May 21, 1999, at a bar in a famous entertainment district in Tokyo, Japan. At the time, Boere, who had visited the bar with his wife Anne, got involved in a minor altercation while waiting in line for the men's restroom. Although the situation seemed to settle after a brief scuffle, the incident occurred when they were leaving the bar around 4 a.m.

According to media reports, one of the individuals involved in the altercation, Simon Ben Hamo from Israel, approached Boere pretending to apologize and extended his hand. The moment Boere reached out to shake hands without suspicion, Ben Hamo forcefully pulled Boere forward and stabbed his eyeball with an ice pick.

The scene instantly turned into a sea of blood. Anne, who was present at the scene at the time, recalled the horrific moment to 'Daily Mail': "The perpetrator stabbed my husband's eye with an ice pick, swung a knife two more times, and then fled. He was rushed to the hospital, but ultimately had to undergo eye removal surgery."

The media stated, "The perpetrator, Ben Hamo, fled to Thailand immediately after the incident, but was found dead from gunshot wounds on a riverside in Bangkok just a few weeks later. It appears he was killed in retaliation due to a power struggle between smuggling organizations." The report noted, "Although the perpetrator met a gruesome end, the psychological damage inflicted on the victim, Boere, was only just beginning."

Boere, who lost one eye at the young age of 31 and was forced to end his football career, fell into severe depression. After retiring, he attempted to make a comeback by running a pub in the UK and moving to Marbella, Spain, to start a real estate business, but these efforts could not fill his longing for the football field.

Anne said, "Just the day before, he was a man who ran in front of tens of thousands of spectators, but overnight he lost his way." She added, "With nowhere to channel his energy, he wandered from bar to bar every night, relying on alcohol, and ultimately could not overcome the depression that began that night in Tokyo."

Eventually, Boere was found dead in his home in Spain in 2004. His son Brandon, who was only two years old at the time, had to grow up without any memory of his father. As the details of the star player's depression caused by terrorism and trauma were revealed, the global football community expressed deep sorrow.

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*This content was translated by AI.