Knife-crime victim Kiyan Prince honored as playable character in FIFA 21

A teenager who tragically lost his life after attempting to break up a fight at school is being honored as a playable character in FIFA 21.

At the age of 15, Kiyan Prince was already a promising young football player, whose agility on the pitch earned him the nickname “The Bullet”.

A member of the Queens Park Rangers Under-16s team, Prince’s natural talents and positive attitude led to him becoming a popular name across north-west London.

However, per his official biography on EA Sports, Prince’s kind-natured instinct to “stand up and support others” led to his untimely death, as he attempted to defend his friend from being picked on at the school gates.

On May 18, 2006, Prince had attempted to peacefully resolve a situation outside of the London Academy in Edgware, when he was stabbed in the chest.

Kiyan Prince lost his life at just 15 years old.

Now, on the 15th anniversary of his death, Prince’s legacy on the pitch has been honored by EA Sports, as the gaming giants have been able to use advanced AI technology to virtually recreate the teenager’s likeness and transform him into a playable character on the FIFA 21 roster.

Credit: EA Sports/FIFA 21

Representing his boyhood club of Queen’s Park Rangers, Prince’s image has been transformed into the 30-year-old pro he would have been today.

As of Tuesday, May 18, FIFA 21 players around the world are able to download Prince as a playable character, and see the prodigy return to the pitch.

One element that helped bring Prince’s likeness as a 30-year-old to life was the use of photographs of his father, Dr. Mark Prince OBE.

Speaking of his son’s legacy being honored in FIFA 21, Dr. Prince said: “I want my son to be remembered not for the tragedy of his death but for the triumph of his achievements.

“Through this campaign, my hope is that the world finally gets to glimpse Kiyan’s incredible potential fulfilled. We get to honor his talent. And, hopefully, we can inspire other kids to honor their own talent too - whatever their own strengths might be.”

And it’s not just Prince’s appearance that has been recreated. EA Sports worked closely with Kiyan’s family, friends, former teammates, and coaches in order to best represent the late teen’s on-pitch skill-set and characteristics.

In the game, Prince will don the 20/21 Adidas COPA boot, and as a part of the JD Sports advertising campaign, Kiyan’s likeness will be featured on the iconic billboards of Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street.

Additionally, trading card giants Topps will be honoring Kiyan with his own special edition collectible Match Attax card.

With the teenager’s legacy being honored, people who wish to support the Kiyan Prince Foundation can do so by texting ‘KFP’ followed by the amount they wish to donate to 70490.

For more information on the Kiyan Prince Foundation, click HERE.

The incredible work of the foundation led to Dr. Prince being honored with an OBE and QPR renaming their ground to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

Director of Football at QPR Les Ferdinand spoke out about the touching tributes, saying:

“As a club, we have worked closely with the Kiyan Prince Foundation and it has been an honor to get to know Mark on a personal level during that time.

“What he has been through is every parent’s worst nightmare and his response to such a tragedy has been truly inspiring.”

Ferdinand added: “When we named our stadium after the Kiyan Prince Foundation in 2019, we invited Mark to the training ground to speak with our players. We felt it was important they understood the history of the Foundation and what it stood for.

“The squad were truly humbled by Mark’s bravery and his dedication to using his pain to prevent others from having to walk the same path he has had to walk.

“We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Mark and are delighted to see Kiyan in the QPR squad for the 2021/22 season.”

James Salmon, the Marketing Director of the EA SPORTS FIFA Brand, also spoke out about the incredible tribute, saying:

“By adding Kiyan in-game this year, we not only want to celebrate what an incredibly talented footballer he was and should have been, but also continue to offer EA SPORTS FIFA as a platform to raise awareness of the Kiyan Prince Foundation.”

Kiyan Prince will be available in Kick-Off Mode and Career Mode in FIFA 21 from 18th May on PC and from 19th May on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles.

Featured image credit: EA/FIFA 21