WEST Ham have made a touching tribute to the late Australian footballer Dylan Tombides by honouring him with a special accolade at the Premier League club’s new home ground.

The former Olyroo, who passed away in April 2014 after battling testicular cancer, has been immortalised with a special Champions Place stone outside the Olympic stadium.

Tombides’ parents Tracey and Jim and brother Taylor were all on hand to mark the occasion.

🎥 @Dylantombides' family were on site to mark the poignant moment ➡️https://t.co/CWnSaGELeA pic.twitter.com/Sd7h4nPY3f — West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) July 11, 2016

.@Dylantombides will now always have a place at our new home 😊🏟 #DT38 #LetThePlayersPlay pic.twitter.com/MagYMmlK9N — West Ham United FC (@whufc_official) July 11, 2016

“It’s a huge honour to be invited here and it’s certainly something we will cherish,” Tracy Tombides told www.whufc.com “It’s wonderful that we’re able to keep his memory alive and the message that he’s giving, so to actually have somewhere that we can visit him, visit his stone and visit his memorial, it’s a huge honour for the family.

“It’s a really poignant thing for us to have him included in Champions Place. I’m sure myself and the family and many Australian visitors up here, and other Hammers fans will make a point of coming down and seeing his stone.”

The memorial stone is the first in a specially designed walkway at the ground that will honour past West Ham players, supporters and heroes.

Tombides’ younger brother Taylor, who was also a graduate of West Ham’s academy, thanked the club for honouring his sibling with such a special tribute.

Happy to have my brothers memory live forever at the new stadium ❤️ #dt38 #whufc pic.twitter.com/r8I8qB6upj — Taylor Tombides (@taylor_tombides) July 11, 2016

“It’s an amazing thing and we can’t thank West Ham enough for what they’ve done for Dylan and his name,” he said. “It was great to be able to witness such a beautiful moment and knowing that it’s going to be here for the rest of time that West Ham are going to be at this Stadium, it’s a beautiful thing to know.

“Every time I come to a game here I’ll be making sure I walk past here just to say hello to it, just to see it, before I go and watch West Ham hopefully win every time!”

Dylan Tombides holds his shinguard bearing a birthday message for his mum. Source: Supplied

Dylan Tombides joined West Ham aged 15 as part of their academy before making his first and only senior game for the club in the League Cup against Wigan in 2012.

Despite that, he is one of only two Hammers players to have their shirt numbers retired, alongside Bobby Moore.

It’s not the first honour bestowed on Tombides. Last September, a statute of him was unveiled at nib Stadium in Western Australia.

And the statue of the Dylan Tombides commemorating that act. Source: News Corp Australia

The sculpture depicts Tombides holding his shinguard with the inscription ‘Happy Birthday Mum X’ — something he did after scoring at the 2011 Under-17 World Cup.

The statue’s inscription says Tombides “stands here as a symbol of inspiration, courage and determination”.