DOZENS of Aaron Keenan’s pals were able to say goodbye to their “beautiful boy” along with his family on Sunday before he died following a tragic accident.

Though only 19, the Celtic-daft football fan was known by everybody in every corner of the town, not just near his home in Whitecrook, said his grieving mum Gillian Connelly.

“The whole of Clydebank shared Aaron,” she told the Post. “The hospital wouldn’t normally allow so many people in but I needed them in to say goodbye to Aaron.

“They were part of his life. I wanted all his wee friends to say goodbye to him so Aaron could see how much they all loved him. He had that connection to everybody.”

Clydebank Post:

The 19-year-old pictured at his prom

The family home this week is full of cards, flowers and plates of food as the community rallies around.

“He was so polite,” continued his mum, 41, struggling to sum up one of her children whose loss has left a gaping hole in their lives.

“He was full of life. He loved Celtic. He loved all his family. He loved to go out with his friends.

“Aaron would never pass anybody he knew – he would stop and talk to them. Half the time he would not even realise how funny he was.”

The teenager, one of five children, would walk in every night and make a crack about his mum’s cooking, but that was his sense of humour, said Gillian, smiling at the memory.

And it wasn’t as though he was that picky about food. “He would clear that fridge,” she said. “But he hated any sauce, except for the pasta sauce I would make.”

The pain for Aaron’s parents and younger siblings Niamh, 16, Jack, 11, and six-year-old Eoghan, is more raw from losing his cousin, schoolgirl Paige Doherty, who died last March.

“He is with his wee cousin now,” added Gillian. “She has been waiting for him.”

Clydebank Post: Paige Doherty

Aaron's cousin was schoolgirl Paige Doherty, who tragically died in March 2016

Aaron attended Thames View Nursery in London for a time before the family returned north where he joined Whitecrook nursery, then Our Holy Redeemer Primary and finally St Peter the Apostle High.

He studied PE and engineering for a time at West College Scotland but decided it wasn’t for him and was working for flooring firm Carpetronic in Paisley when he died.

Dad Paul Keenan, 49, who coaches amateur team Duntocher Hibs, recounted this week how Aaron had surprised him with a new Celtic top with his last month’s wage.

Aaron was dubbed “The Waterbhoy” by players on the team, including his eldest brother Chris, 20, thanks to his weekly pre-match responsibilities.

In a Facebook post, the team said: “Our very dear friend Aaron Keenan, ‘The Waterbhoy’, has been involved in the most tragic accident resulting in Aaron now sleeping with the angels.

“Our thoughts and prayers are now with our Coach Paul and Gillian and all the Keenan family in their time of grief and can not begin to convey our most heartfelt sorrow on this tragedy bestowed upon you. Rest in peace Aaron. YNWA.”

Aaron was found just before 8am on Sunday morning near Kilpatrick rail station as paramedics and British Transport Police (BTP) rushed to the scene.

His death is being treated as “unexplained” by police, who appealed for information to trace his movements after he left a nearby property at about 3am.

Detective Inspector Arlene Wilson said: “Understandably, this has been a terrible shock for this man’s family and friends, and we have specially-trained officers supporting them at this difficult time.

“I would be very keen to speak with anyone who was in the Kilpatrick area during the early hours of Sunday morning who can help us establish what happened.

“Your information could prove vital in getting this family the answers they desperately seek.”

Funeral details have not yet been confirmed but the family know they want everyone to wear green to give Aaron a worthy send-off.

More than £1,900 has been raised on a crowdfunding campaign set up by friends, far exceeding the £1,000 target they set.

Gillian added: “He was just a normal wee boy.”

Anyone with information on what happened is asked to call BTP on 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 139 of 25/06/2017, or text 61016.