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An up-and-coming ladies football player has died aged just 20 on the first day she was due to return to pre-season training.

West Ham United Ladies starlet Katie Sheppard is believed to have taken her own life just hours before she was due to return to footballing duties after taking a break for university, the Evening Standard reports.

The former Charlton Athletic midfielder - who aspired to emulate her footballing hero Scott Parker - made four first-team appearances for West Ham Ladies in 2012/13 before concentrating on her university studies.

She was found dead at the family home in Sidcup, Kent, on July 2.

Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death.

The lifelong Hammers fan has been described as a 'talented and popular' member of the club, where she was expected to fully break into the first-team this season.

Katie had taken a short break from football to study for a degree in Sports Therapy at the University of Kent, which she started last year.

Tributes have flooded in to Katie, who was fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing for West Ham.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, coach Julia Setford, 34, who signed Katie from the Charlton Athletic School of Excellence, said: "We don’t know what has happened.

“Katie was a massive character and we didn’t know there was anything wrong.

“She spoke to the girls on a regular basis. That’s why what happened is such a shock. We’re all struggling to come to terms with it at the moment.”

In a statement, West Ham Ladies said: "It is with great sadness they we have to report the untimely passing of Katie Sheppard.

"She had played for the Ladies team for the past two seasons, a true Hammers fan and season ticket holder at Upton Park. We send our condolences to all her family and friends at this sad time."

The footballing world also expressed its shock over social media at Katie's untimely passing.

Katie's family have requested that football players attending her funeral next Tuesday wear Charlton Athletic or West Ham tops in her memory.

As a youth player at Charlton, Katie answered a questionnaire which was published on the website where she cited her dad as her biggest inspiration.

She said: "He is the one who takes me to and from games and will always be honest in telling me about how I played and how to progress."

Asked about her ambitions, she added: "To get a scholarship to the USA and continue to play out there."

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