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Heartbreaking details told at inquest on death of much loved 19 year old footballer

Heartbreaking details were told at inquest on the death of much loved 19 year old footballer Vinicius de Oliveira Cabral de Souza.

Also known as Vini, the former Manchester United academy footballer was found dead in his bedroom at his family home in Walkden, Greater Manchester, on February 20th, 2025.

An inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court revealed that Vini had quit football a few months prior to his death, following a noticeable “sudden change” in his mood, the Daily Star report.

His sister, Mayara De Souza, said that he stopped engaging in activities he previously enjoyed, such as football, going to the gym, and seeing friends.

She tried to support him by arranging a psychotherapist session in January, but Vini, who was born in Brazil and raised in Portugal before moving to the UK and played for Warrington Town FC, declined further sessions.

Vini expressed concerns about his career and repeatedly apologised to friends and family. He had planned a trip to Brazil in April, with a return scheduled for May 12th, but tragically died in February.

Bolton Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday (May 20th) that he had quit football a few months prior to his tragic death.

The inquest was informed that he had voiced concerns about his career and repeatedly said sorry to friends and family, saying ‘I let you down’.

But his sister, Mayara De Souza, says it was unclear why he felt he had ‘disappointed’ them, with his family revealing to the inquest that he was ‘disappointed’ when he was dropped by Manchester United at the age of 14, wanting to continue playing and did so over the next five years, but never explained why he eventually ‘gave up’ and stopped training with Warrington Town.

He also struggled with his self-esteem having seen his acne return when he ran out of steroid cream which was prescribed to him.

When doctors said they wouldn’t prescribe more of the steroid cream, then bought some some online from India, but his sister recommended he didn’t.

Miss De Souza revealed: “He stopped doing the things that he liked to do such as football, going to the gym and seeing friends. He started apologising about the way he treated us and we didn’t understand what he meant.

“His best friend as well, he said the same to him and he said he doesn’t know why.”

In December 2024, she expressed her concerns to her brother, suspecting he was suffering from depression – then she said to the inquest ‘he just laughed at me’.

She then set up a session for him to check in with a psychotherapist, and he went to this in January, but he declined the offer of going to future sessions.

He had planned a trip to Brazil in April, the inquest heard, and was to return on May 12th. But he died in February.

Miss De Souza continued: “He said to my dad before he died, ‘Am I going to be arrested for this?’ And [my dad] said, “for what?”

“He said, ‘because of the way that I am, I’m going to be arrested’. And there was an occasion where he saw a police car but it was for a neighbour. He thought it was for him.”

The inquest heard that Vini also stopped seeing with his mates after he said to his mum that he had taken drugs at a nightclub on one time a few months before his death.

A toxicologist’s report found no trace of drugs or alcohol in Vini’s system when he died. However, he mentioned that all of his friends used drugs which led to him feeling increasingly ‘isolated’ months prior to his death.

Vini was sadly found in his bedroom on February 20, with police determining that he died by ‘self-inflicted means by hanging’.

Assistant coroner Stephen Teesdale said following the inquest that he had taken his own life and officially recorded a verdict of ‘suicide’.

In a heartfelt address to Vini’s sister and father at the inquest, Mr Teesdale said: “There’s nothing more you could have done. You did everything. You spotted the problem – depression. You made a plan, you sought professional assistance from a psychotherapist.

Warrington Town said in their tribute: “Scorer of the most spectacular goals, Vini was a well respected, much-loved member of the club, and his ability earned him a place training with the first team despite his young age.

“He played for the first team last season in the Cheshire Senior Cup against Cheadle Town, and trained regularly with the first team, appearing in numerous pre-season friendlies over the past couple of seasons.”

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