‘My friend Jason Arday was a kind-hearted soul — his death is a tragic waste of life’

With a broad smile, Jason Arday proudly holds a football trophy aloft as teammates enjoy cakes. This moment of joy is how I will remember the former Cambridge University professor, who was found dead this week. He was just 41. Jason had been at the centre of a storm over a plagiarism row which saw him quit his job at the world-famous institution. The dad-of-two was also my friend; I’m there in front left of that changing room picture clutching a cake. I first met Jason about a decade ago when I joined Battersea Park Rangers [BPR], a close-knit football team in south London. He was a talented goalkeeper. But what struck me most was how he was off the field. Jason possessed a kind-hearted soul and a gentle nature. We bonded during car journey chats — I gave him lifts to and from games over the years. It was one of things I enjoyed most about playing for that team. We talked about all of life. Jason was interested in the world and people; he had an almost childlike sense of wonder. I hadn’t seen Jason for some time by 2023 when, aged 37, he became the youngest black person ever appointed to a professorship at Cambridge. But I was thrilled for him and have been in touch with him sporadically since. There has been enough written about the allegations against Jason in recent weeks. He has accepted making mistakes but denied being a fantasist. I don’t have all the answers. But I do know one thing: he didn’t deserve to die. Only days ago, columnist Darren Lewis wrote prophetically in the Daily Mirror: “Jason is a good person (I've met him) who will be well aware that his conduct demands accountability, amid the questions that continue to come thick and fast. It is important, however, to provide context, and human to defend fiercely his right to an emotional wellbeing.” And Cambridge professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, who was in touch with Jason on Friday before he was found dead, told the BBC: "He was a vulnerable child, a vulnerable teenager, and a vulnerable adult, so he needed and deserved safeguarding and support and reasonable adjustment every step of the way." In his resignation statement from Cambridge, Jason, who referenced growing up with autism, said: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement. The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.” My ex-teammate Mike Freeman, 41, who went to primary school with Jason and is pictured on the right of the changing room picture tucking into a cake, said: “He was one of the best people I have been fortunate to know. “A friend. A team mate. He was someone who strove to make the world a better place. He was incredibly caring, always asking about my family. And despite being so busy with his career, he hardly ever missed a BPR game. "It was hugely important to him, he loved the club and all those who played for it. We remember him as a wonderful, kind and humble human.” It is a sentiment shared by another of my old teammates, George Ryan , who said: “I met Jason when I was 14… He was quite shy, but quickly attached himself to us as a new group of friends. I thought his obsession with snooker and his love of BritPop and rock’n’roll was, well, unusual. He certainly didn’t fit whatever profile I had in my head of someone from the local estate in Battersea.” George, 41, added: “He was just an incredibly selfless guy. If he could put someone else ahead of his own needs, that is exactly what he would do.” And Nick Clark, 41, another former teammate who attended primary school with Jason and is third from the left in the picture, also paid tribute. "Jason was a hero of a man and, without question, the kindest person I've ever known,” he said. “I will always picture him as a young boy, with his big afro and even bigger smile. Despite his challenges, he was so engaging and embraced everything he did with joy and dedication.” Jason’s death is a tragic loss of life. My heart goes out to his family; I cannot imagine their grief and suffering. After the first reports emerged about the plagiarism row last month, I got in touch with Jason – I was concerned about him. I’ve listened back to the voice notes he sent me; they are heartbreaking. I know it might not feel like it now but I do believe things will get better. That was one of the last things I ever said to Jason. I was trying to offer some words of comfort in the best way I could. Just weeks later, he is dead. But I will try to hold on to the picture of his smile in the dressing room. I think it is how he would have wanted me to remember him. If you are struggling, the Samaritans can help on 116 123