AN injured Royal Marine fought back tears as he attended the funeral of a comrade, whose father lives in Bursledon, yesterday.

His face swathed in bandages, Private Jack Cooper, 19, pictured left, was determined to pay his last respects to Corporal Ben Nowak who died beside him when their boat was blown apart on Remembrance Sunday in Iraq last week.

Corporal Nowak, 27, had been a promising footballer, good enough to have a trial with Southampton Football Club, but was not awarded a contract. Instead he fulfilled his ambition by joining the Royal Marines.

His father, Jim, who lives in Bridge Road, Bursledon, was a former Olympian who competed for Great Britain in the modern pentathlon in the 1984 games in Los Angeles.

Cpl Nowak died alongside three other colleagues during a patrol in the Shatt al-Arab waterway in Basra city when a bomb was detonated near their boat.

Born in Liverpool, he was raised in Australia but returned to England aged 16.

His funeral service took place in his home city where he was described as "a truly great person," who had promised to look after Pte Cooper. Both men had arrived in the Middle East trouble spot only eight days earlier.

The teenage soldier suffered injuries to his jaw, neck, back and stomach but was determined to attend the service at Liverpool's Anglican cathedral He was joined by hundreds of mourners, including Everton footballer Tim Cahill, who attended the service as a mark of respect to Cpl Nowak who was a lifelong Toffees supporter.