Queensland Origin star AJ Brimson has revealed the final moments before a promising NRL player dropped dead in a Spanish nightclub.
Liam Hampson, 24, was found dead in Barcelona’s Sala Apolo nightclub on October 19 after falling 14m from a wall in a no-go area.
His untimely death came before Hampson could fulfill his lifelong dream of playing professional rugby league for the Dolphins.
He will be mourned during a funeral service at Moreton Daily Stadium on the Redcliffe Peninsula, Queensland on Monday.
Brimson joined the hundreds of heartbroken family and friends paying tribute to the up-and-coming star, describing him as a “brother” and one of his “best friends”.
He recalled the last moments he shared with Hampson after joining the 24-year-old on his whirlwind vacation in Europe and partying with him the night he died.
Queensland Origin star AJ Brimson (left) paid tribute to promising NRL player Liam Hampson (right) and shared his final moments before he was found dead in a Spanish nightclub
Liam Hampson, 24, was found dead in Barcelona’s Sala Apolo nightclub on October 19 after falling more than 10 meters from a wall in a no-go area.
“He was a legend, the funniest guy ever,” Brimson said. Mail Mail.
“There have already been so many times I have gone to message her…it is the most heartbreaking thing.
“We can never do these things together or share them again. He was determined with his foot but also a happy guy.
Brimson first met Hampson on the Gold Coast in 2012 before becoming closer friends at rugby league nursery Keebra Park High School.
The pair briefly went their separate ways as Brimson stayed in Queensland to pursue a career with the Titans while Hampson went to New Zealand to play for the Warriors.
Hampson returned six months later unable to settle overseas and rented a house with Brimson and Titans player Phil Sami in 2017.
He never gave up on his dreams as he chased a place at reserve club Tweed Heads before moving to Redcliffe and playing hooker for the Dolphins.
His prowess on the pitch impressed super coach Wayne Bennett, with Brimson admitting he thought Hampson would have played for the team in pre-season.
“Wayne Bennett told him after a few games that he had a good game, which was promising,” he said.
Brimson recalled the last moments he shared with Hampson after joining the 24-year-old on his whirlwind vacation in Europe and partying with him the night he died.
The friends went to the Sala Apolo concert hall and nightclub before the band broke up and Brimson returned to his lodgings and slept.
Brimson and his brothers joined Hampson for a European vacation that would eventually turn into a hellish nightmare.
Brimson and his brothers first partied in Ibiza before meeting Hampson in Germany for Oktoberfest and traveling to Amsterdam, Switzerland and France.
The band arrived in Spain and Hampson would go their separate ways to continue traveling solo before spending one last evening with his friends.
The friends went to the Sala Apolo concert hall and nightclub before the band broke up and Brimson returned to his lodgings and slept.
He woke up the next morning and noticed Hampson was missing, but assumed he had slept with a woman and only worried when he hadn’t heard from his friend in the afternoon.
Brimson went to the police and returned to the nightclub as he searched for Hampson.
Earlier this week, the High Court in Calatolonia cleared Hampson’s body for release to Australia so that his family could take him home after Spanish authorities finalized their autopsy process.
Hampson dreamed of playing professional rugby league before he died in a Spanish nightclub
CCTV footage from the club showed Hampson became separated from his friends overnight and then locked himself on a terrace after walking through two emergency exits which only opened one way.
He then dove 14m to his death in an interior patio while trying to jump a nearby wall.
Earlier this week, the High Court in Calatolonia cleared Hampson’s body for release to Australia so that his family could take him home after Spanish authorities finalized their autopsy process.
A funeral invitation posted online by his mother and father asked attendees to dress as his son would, in ‘t-shirts and birches’, in a service that will be a ‘celebration of life’ .
“As Liam wishes, we ask that attendees come dressed, as Liam would say, ‘S**t Shirts and Birks’ or comfortable casual clothing,” reads the invitation.
“We thank everyone for their support and for those who have reached out as we honor Liam’s memory as a community, as a team and as a family.
