The boy who wouldn’t stop playing: Istra’s Alen Pamić (24) died playing a pick-up game

A terrible story has broken in Croatia over the weekend after news was released that Istra 1961 defensive midfielder Alen Pamić died after a heart attack in a pick-up game on Friday.

At just 24-years-old, Alen Pamić should be remembered as the young man who refusing to stop playing football.

The son of Istra coach Igor Pamic and brother of Dinamo Zagreb player Zvonko Pamić, Alen had a long history of heart problems.

Alen Pamić started his career at HNK Rijeka, and after superb debut season in 2009-10 the teenager collected a big move to Standard Liege. Pamić however never got to debut in Belgium as he suffered a cardiac arrest in November 2010 just before a game against Zulte Waregem.

After a series of tests Pamić reportedly got the all-clear, but then in 2011 collapsed again.

This time a well-respected cardiologist in Milan was said to have treated Pamić after this second episode, but are rigorous testing the footballer was again given a clean bill of health.

Amazingly Pamić returned to professional football in 2011 for Istra, and over the past two seasons he played 24 games in the Croatian 1st division. But then in February, in a match against Lokomotiva, Pamić suffered a third collapse (only to immediately walk off the pitch moments later) which stopped him playing for the rest of the season.

On Friday night, playing in an indoor 5-a-side game, the 24-year-old died.

Pamić is the 22nd professional footballer to die of heart conditiion in the last five years.

A video montage of Alen Pamić in action can be seen below.