FORMER Saint Dan Nlundulu dedicated his two goals against Manchester United’s Under-21s to former teammate, Ben Cull, who died last week from a rare bone cancer.

The Bolton Wanderers forward scored twice in an 8-1 trashing at the Toughsheet Stadium, before unveiling a message on his vest which read, "This is for you Ben Cull."

Nlundulu came through the ranks at St Mary’s alongside Cull and played 15 times for the Saints’ first team before making a permanent move to Bolton in the summer.

Cull’s promising football career was cut short in 2017 after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, at which point he dedicated himself to charity fundraising events for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Saints held a minute of applause in memory of the former academy player ahead of their 1-0 defeat against Ipswich earlier this month.

Speaking to the Echo's sister publication, The Bolton News, Nlundulu said: “It is an emotional one. My friend, Ben Cull, who I’d played in the academy with for the last 10 years, died of cancer last week.

“I had been wearing that shirt under my top for the last two games now and I said to myself I’d keep doing it until I got a goal, so both of them are for him.

“This has been an important day not just because I got my goals but to celebrate him as well.”

Nlundulu's brace against Manchester United's under-21s marked his first goals since making his move to Bolton permanent this summer.

“I have needed it,” he continued. “I am delighted to get the first ones of the season and it took a lot of patience, building the confidence in the minutes I have been getting, but I knew today I had to get out there and get the goals."