Aston Villa player Luke Young last night paid tribute to his half-brother who was found dead at a Greek holiday resort.

The footballer appealed for information about the death of 17-year-old Andre Young, whose body was found yesterday morning in Malia, Crete.

He said: “My family and I are devastated by the tragic death of my younger brother Andre in Malia earlier this week.

“He was a tremendous and talented person and a diligent student and this is such a waste of a promising life.”

His parents have flown to the holiday island to identify Andre who was found on a building site less than a mile from his apartment with serious head injuries.

The teenager had been enjoying a night out in the holiday resort hours before his body was discovered.

Mr Young’s family also paid tribute to the teenager in a statement, which said: “Andre was a much-loved son, brother, half-brother, grandson, nephew and cousin.

“He will be dearly missed by all his family and life will never be the same without him.

“He hoped to go to university next year and then have a career which involved changing the world in a positive way for the young people of the future.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm that a body has been discovered and positively identified by the Greek authorities as that of a 17-year-old British national who was reported missing in Crete on August 11.

“The family has been informed and is being provided with consular assistance.”

Holidaymaker Bethany Billings, 21, who saw the teenager before he went missing, said he had been drinking with friends. She told the Daily Mirror: “He was proper drunk. He knew he’d had enough and wanted to go home.”

She said she last saw him staggering up the street and added: “He must have tripped and hit his head.”

A police spokesman in Crete said the death was not being treated as suspicious.

More than 200 people joined a group set up in tribute to the teenager on the social networking site Facebook. One friend, Rhiannon Parry, wrote: “Shocked, really really shocked!! Rest in Peace buddy x”.

Another, Jay Pledger from Saffron Walden County High School, wrote: “You will be forever remembered. Maths classes were no good without you mate. R.I.P. x x”.

Luke Young began his career at Tottenham Hotspur and has been capped seven times by England. Last year Villa signed him in a deal expected to reach £6 million over three years. He had previously been playing for Middlesbrough.

Young, born in Harlow, Essex, has an older brother, Neil, who is also a professional footballer.