More from Lokeren:

"On Monday night during the reserve game between KRC Genk and Sporting Lokeren, Gregory suffered a heart failure.

"Despite the good medical care of our own sports staff and colleagues in Genk, it soon appeared that the situation was very serious. Gregory was treated on the field and transferred to the hospital in Genk. The medical staff has done everything to save Gregory, but they finally had to acknowledge their impotence. Today, at 15:30 BST, Gregory died. The family has been able to say goodbye."

Mertens' club Lokeren have released a statement on their website., external

"Today something happened that no one could ever suspect or dare. Much too soon, we say goodbye to Gregory Mertens.

"We are a football club. Everyone in and around the club breathes football. But suddenly something happens when we realise that football is just football. Today is such a time."

Image source, Getty Images

Gregory Mertens started his career at Anderlecht - his hometown club - in 2004.

The centre-back went on to play for Cercle Brugge before joining Lokeren in 2014.

He played in 15 league games this term, as well as against Hull City in the Europa League in August.

Mertens was capped at Belgian youth level and made seven appearances for the under-21 side.

Mertens began his career at the country's most successful club, Anderlecht, but moved to Lokeren in January last year from Cercle Bruges.

He had been capped several times by Belgium at under-21 level.

Belgium suffered the loss of another young talent in January this year when 20-year-old Junior Malanda of German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg died in a car crash.

Image source, Getty Images

Mertens collapsed 20 minutes into a game against Genk reserves on Monday. He received treatment on the pitch before being placed in an induced coma in hospital.

Belgian footballer Gregory Mertens has died at the age of 24, three days after suffering a heart attack while playing for Lokeren's reserves.

It says something about Swansea's season that Saturday's game is "their biggest of the season", according to manager Garry Monk.

Victory over Newcastle last weekend kept them in eighth place on a record tally of 50 points, three points and one place ahead of Stoke with four games remaining.

"It's a vital game and probably the most important one of our season," Monk said. "We've been in the top 10 all year and it is important that we consolidate that position. There is a real possibility for us to finish eighth and the highest we have ever finished in the Premier League.

@Jam_man9 suggested on Twitter that Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood would discuss "something about tactics, win ratios and gilets being coats" in his news conference previewing Saturday's game with Everton.

Not even close.

Sherwood said Alan Hutton (ankle) could return but the Toffees game comes too soon for Gabby Agbonlahor (hamstring).

Image source, Getty Images

"Alan is back in training, which is good news for us. We will assess him again on Friday," said the Villa boss.

"Gabby is still not training. He's done some light work. We are hoping to have him back in full training at the beginning of next week though."

In the blink of an eye, Shaun Murphy has won the seventh frame with a total clearance of 138. Hawkins had the break, but that was the only he shot he played. There is one more frame remaining this afternoon.

Image source, Getty Images

Before he became synonymous with the muscle-wasting disease that took his life in 1941, Lou Gehrig enjoyed an incredible baseball career.

On this day in 1939, he set a Major League record when he played his 2,130th consecutive game for New York Yankees - a run that started in June 1925.

Barry Hawkins has once again closed the gap on Shaun Murphy to two frames, dragging their World Championship semi-final back to 4-2. Murphy, though, is already in the balls in frame number seven.

Here's a strange one...

Arsenal have banned the mother of young player Ainsley Maitland-Niles after she was involved in a training-ground dispute and threatened to withdraw the winger from an under-21 match.

Police were called and arrested Jule Niles after she confronted executive Dick Law and her son's agent. No charges ensued but she has been subsequently issued with a warning.

Image source, Clare Balding

We're just going to leave this picture here without comment... Chris Eubank on the Clare Balding show with his son, Chris Jr.

Watch the full interview with Eubank, his son, Chris Eubank Jr, and former QPR manager Harry Redknapp on the Clare Balding Show, Friday 1 May, 22:00 BST on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website.

Apologies if you're still waiting to hear from Tim Sherwood. So are we...

How about we pass the time by surmising what the garrulous Aston Villa might have to say. Send your suggestions to #bbcsportsday.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Tom Daley and other British athletes will be competing in the Diving World Series in London this weekend.

Image source, Getty Images

The event is being held at the Aquatics Centre, where Daley won a bronze medal in the 10m platform during the London 2012.

And the Plymouth man said he's "the best, most dedicated and most committed diver" he's ever been.

You can watch for yourself this weekend. Coverage begins on Friday, 1 May on BBC Red Button and online.

Has your team's season fizzled out to nothing? Why not look ahead to next term, with the Scottish Professional Football League having announced the start dates for the 2015/16 campaign.

Image source, SPFL

"We're all trying to break into the monopoly of the top six or seven, which is very difficult to do. Between the rest of us, the margins are very small so I look at it as two leagues within the league."

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland scrum-half Greig Laidlaw says he made the right his decision when he left his hometown club Edinburgh to join Premiership side Gloucester last summer.

The two teams will meet in Friday's European Challenge Cup final, with Edinburgh hoping to become the first Scottish side to win a European trophy.

"It was the right decision to move away," said 29-year-old Laidlaw.

"I've really enjoyed it and feel I've played a lot of good rugby this year. I'll need to do that again on Friday."

The journalist at the centre of "ostrichgate", Ian Baker, has just tweeted Nigel Pearson's apology from Thursday's news conference.

Image source, Ian Baker Twitter

We asked you to vote on which managerial rant was the best and 35% of you have gone for Kevin Keegan's "I would love it" outburst.

You've all let me down. How can it be a proper rant without a swearie?

At least Sir Alex Ferguson's "You're all ******* idiots" diatribe attracted 12% - the same share as Rafa Benitez's "I want to talk about facts" tantrum.