Belgian defender Gregory Mertens has died after suffering heart attack during a football match on Monday, it has been confirmed.

24-year-old Mertens was playing for Lokeren's reserve team against Genk when the tragic accident occurred earlier this week, and he had been in a coma since being rushed to hospital.

Mertens collapsed early in the first-half, with the stadium's officials asking fans to leave immediately, and his team-mates were seen praying on the sidelines and shouting messages of support while medics rushed to his aid.


He was placed in an induced coma by medics at a Belgian hospital having received CPR on the pitch, but it was announced that Mertens had passed away on Thursday.

The club's official Twitter account confirmed the news in a post issued on Thursday afternoon, which when translated to English read: "With sadness we announce the loss of Gregory Mertens. We wish family and friends all the strength."


Mertens was born in the Belgian city of Anderlecht in February 1991, and he joined the famous club's academy in 2004 before moving on to Dilbeek Sport, Gent and Cercle Brugge.

It was with Brugge that he signed his first professional deal in 2011, and he spent three years with the club before agreeing a deal to join Lokeran at the start of this season. He made 22 appearances for the club, before suffering a cardiac arrest on Monday.

Gregory Mertens has died at the age of 24 Gregory Mertens has died at the age of 24 He had also made seven appearances for the Belgium Under-21 side, having also represented the Under-16s and Under-19s.

The club had earlier confirmed that Mertens had passed all pre-season health tests as required by Uefa, and was judged to be one of the fittest players at the club. The exact nature of his heart condition has not been confirmed.

A statement from Lokeran before his death was announced explained that he had shown no signs of improvement and remained in a coma on a life-support machine.

It added: "We are waiting for the worst news to come."