A Spurs fan from Deal will be remembered with a round of applause in the 29th minute of Sunday’s match after he died during open heart surgery.

Sam Peters, 29, of St Richards Road, died in Royal Brompton Hospital in London on Tuesday, September 6, while undergoing an operation to replace a heart valve.

Despite the best efforts of medics, he died due to unforeseen circumstances. His family has now taken the brave decision to donate his heart for research.

Friends and family have left heartfelt tributes on social media praising on Sam’s “golden heart,” caring personality and love for Tottenham Hotspur.

"You were a guiding light in your kindness, your positivity - no matter the odds and just an all round special person" - Phil Young

His mum Gaynor Higgins said: “The void is going to be really huge. He was such a loving, happy person and never judged anybody.

“He was the centre of our family and would make sure everyone was always okay.

“There wasn’t a bad bone in his body.”

Sam Peters was born with congenital heart disease in Buckland Hospital on July 22, 1987.

Having been very ill as a baby, Mrs Higgins said he came on leaps and bounds after his first operation at 18 months old.

She said: “The first year he was very poorly but after his operation when he was given a new heart valve, he was absolutely excellent, much better than anyone had predicted.”

Sam was able to lead an ordinary childhood attending Parochial Primary and later Castle Community College.

At the age of 18 he started working at Sainsbury’s where he became a familiar face to many and was known for chatting to customers as well as getting on with his work.

But throughout his childhood and adult life, there was one constant - his love of Spurs.

A member of East Kent Spurs - a supporters' club founded by his dad, Steve Peters, in 2000 - he is estimated to have attended more than 500 matches.

Mr Peters said: “Before the game he’d drag me along to his favourite pub The Bricklayers. Chas and Dave would be blaring out. He would just love the atmosphere of it all.

“We’d get the coach up there and it didn’t matter how old or young the people we were with were, Sam was supreme at adapting himself to be around them.”

In tribute to Sam, the crowd at White Hart Lane will applaud him during the 29th minute of Sunday’s match against Sunderland. The 29th minute has been chosen because Sam was 29 when he died.

He will also feature in the official match programme.

In recent years, the football fanatic had also supported Dover Athletic, attending matches at Crabble with his step dad Dave Higgins, and purposefully choosing to stand in the thick of the atmosphere, at the noisy end.

“If he wasn’t at Tottenham, he was over at Dover. Football was his life. He lived for it,” said friend and fellow Spurs supporter Steve Freeborn.

"The void is going to be really huge. He was such a loving, happy person and never judged anybody" - Mum Gaynor Higgins

Aside from the game, his other great loves were The Simpsons, which he would watch with his sister Sian, his cat Roxy, and karaoke, with his favourite numbers being Robbie Williams’ Angels, Oasis’ Wonderwall and the classic Bohemian Rhapsody.

Mr Peters said: “Sam had a great sense of humour and despite being in hospital his sense of humour remained through everything.”

He commented on going off to dream about Cheryl Cole and Nicole Scherzinger before his operation.

“He was permanently positive,” added his step-mum Tracey Powell.

Friend Phil Young wrote on Sam’s Facebook page: “You were a guiding light in your kindness, your positivity no matter the odds and just an all round special person.

“If any of us can live up to your standards of bravery, love and all round decency as a human being then the world will be a better place. You are a brother to me and I will never forget the memories and times we spent together.”

Childhood friend Laura Hirst wrote: “Truly the most genuine, sunny and inspirational person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Thanks for the amazing memories. You’ll be painfully missed.”

Sam’s family have thanked people for the support they have received.

His friends have started a Just Giving page to raise funds for a memorial bench for him.

The funeral will be at 11am on Monday, September 26, at Trinity Church in Union Road, Deal, followed by a private service for family only at Barham Crematorium.

A gathering afterwards will be held at Deal Victoria and Barns Close Cricket Club in Court Road, from noon. All are welcome.

The family have asked for no flowers, instead there will be a collection during the service towards Kelly Turner’s appeal.