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As a Premier League footballer, Moses Odubajo’s life is full of the trappings of success.

But a family tragedy meant he had to overcome harrowing hardship to get where he is – so the 23-year-old takes none of it for granted.

He lost mum Esther to malaria when he was just 13, leaving him and 15-year-old brother Tom to fend for themselves in an inner city London council flat.

Because she died in Uganda, they fell under the radar of social services and, determined not to be separated, survived on less than £400 a month.

They often had to choose between heating and food, and lived on tins of sardines, corned beef and sweetcorn – often scrounging £2 school lunches or eating at friends’ homes.

Hull City player Moses said: “They were tough times but we never felt sorry for ourselves, that’s not the way mum raised us. She just got on with life, so we did too.

"Mum brought us up to be independent and there was no way we wanted to be separated in children’s or foster homes.

"We wanted to stay together so we managed to hide what was going on from everyone, including teachers.”

(Image: Sunday People)

Former nurse Esther ran a sexual health advice centre for youngsters in Peckham and in 2005 got the chance to help people in Ghana.

Having grown up in Nigeria, where a quarter of the world’s malaria cases are recorded, she mistakenly thought she was immune and did not get vaccinated.

When Esther returned two months later she had the first symptoms. She flew to Uganda for treatment in September 2006 but died within days, at 45.

Moses was on trial with Millwall when his stepdad broke the news. He said: “In my 13-year-old world, it never occurred something would happen to mum. It seemed so surreal.

"Nobody had mentioned malaria. I remember thinking she must have been very poorly when she took to her room, away from us boys, as she ­always wanted to be around us.”

(Image: Sunday People)

Esther’s body was flown back to their flat in Downham, South East London. After the funeral, Moses said his grieving stepdad moved out, staying a few nights a week at first and then visiting once a week to drop off the Family Allowance of £20.

He paid rent, council tax and electric but the boys had to cover food and gas.

Brother Idris, who was 19 and had left home, helped out but took Esther’s death so hard he turned to crime and got two years for robbery.

And, deep in shock, Moses quit football. “I lost interest in everything,” he told the Sunday People.

It was Tom’s talent that kept them afloat as he earned £300 a month at Barnet FC’s academy.

Moses said: “Tom looked after the money. If I’d ask to go somewhere and he said we didn’t have the money, I wouldn’t go.

"If the gas meter ran out, it ran out. We’d fling extra jumpers on because we’d rather eat.”

(Image: AMA/Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

Moses returned to football in 2009 on a youth scholarship at Leyton Orient and graduated to the senior squad in 2010.

He went to Championship side Brentford four years later for a rumoured £1million before joining Hull City for £3.5million on a three-year deal.

And he has also been called up by England, playing in the Under-20s squad.

He now lives in Leeds but has never forgotten his roots, saving cash and making investments because “a career in football is short”.

(Image: John Gladwin / Sunday People)

Tom recently signed for Grimsby Town while Idris runs his own cafe.

Moses said: “Wherever mum is, she’ll be proud and happy to see we’ve done so well.”

In memory of Esther, Moses is ­supporting charity Malaria No More UK.

Last year, there were 214 million cases of the disease, which is carried by ­mosquitoes, and 438,000 deaths. Yet £5 mosquito nets could cut fatalities by half.

Moses said: “I know personally how malaria destroys lives. If everyone gave a few pounds it would make a huge difference.”