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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Ryan Carroll

Celtic star Liel Abada pays tribute to tragic teen Leon Brown with Old Firm goal celebration

Liel Abada paid tribute to tragic teenager Leon Brown as he opened the scoring for Celtic in the Old Firm derby. The Israeli attacker set the Hoops on their way in the 4-0 rout over rivals Rangers at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.

After striking in the 8th minute of the match, Abada ran away celebrating before holding up a T-shirt with a picture of 14-year-old Leon on the front. The youngster, who was found dead in his bedroom after taking part in the dangerous viral Blackout Challenge, was a diehard Celtic fan and was pictured wearing his team's strip on the T-shirt.

Heartbroken mum Lauryn Keating, 30, discovered Leon unresponsive in his room at their home in Cumbernauld on August 25. She later learned he had attempted the same terrifying trend that is believed to have caused 12-year-old Archie Battersbee to suffer a fatal brain injury that later led to his death.

Leon died suddenly on August 25 (Supplied)
Lauryn has been left heartbroken by the loss of her son (Lauryn Keating)

The deadly challenge encourages people to restrict their breath until they fall unconscious. This can cause low levels of oxygen in the brain that can lead to seizures, serious injury or death.

Mum Lauryn was left devastated by her son's death and issued a desperate warning to other families about the online game.

Abada wheels away after bagging the opener in the 4-0 derby day rout (Steve Welsh/PA Wire)

Speaking of popular youngster Leon, who was a pupil at Our Lady's High School in the town, Lauryn previously told the Record : "He was the happiest, funniest wee boy ever. He was a bit of a class clown and he liked to make people laugh. Everything was always a joke and a carry on to Leon. He was just a wee cheeky boy. But he meant so much to me."

Abada went on to bag a first-half brace as Celtic completed their largest win over Rangers since a 5-0 victory in April 2018. Jota scored with a delightful finish in between Abada's strikes, with David Turnbull completing the rout late on after a huge mistake from Gers 'keeper Jon McLaughlin.

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