THE father of former Chelsea youth team player Jordan Tabor has paid tribute to his “best friend” after his son was laid to rest on Tuesday.

Mr Tabor died when he fell from his hotel balcony at the Titanic Beach Lara Hotel in Antalya, Turkey, on July 23.

Craig Jeffrey, 43, flew back to England from his home in Los Angeles, where he lives with wife Kiran and sons Jake, four, and Connor, two. He helped carry Mr Tabor’s coffin into Trinity Church, Abingdon, and his brother-in-law, Tony Bodell, read a eulogy on his behalf.

Mr Jeffrey said: “Jordan was my best friend, my best man and the best son any father could have hoped for. Having a son at 19 could have been difficult but I can truly say it was just a privilege and a joy to have him in my life.

“Jordan will be missed by his brothers, they would always talk about him. I am just so happy that they had time together in the States playing on the beach.”

Mr Tabor’s mother, Louise Bates, and stepfather, Matt, have also paid tribute to him, along with his girlfriend Danielle McEachran.

Mr Jeffrey said: “I am so proud and thankful to have been his dad. I feel truly blessed to have so many beautiful memories and photos of our time together, which will stay with me forever.

“Jordan was a huge part of my life and always will be. He will never be forgotten.”

An inquest into Mr Tabor’s death was opened and adjourned on Tuesday for a date to be arranged.

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.

Our top stories