Michael Jackson’s statue will be unveiled by Fulham’s chairman, Mohammed Al Fayed, at Craven Cottage at 12pm on April 3 to honour his friendship with the late singer.

After Jackson’s tragic passing in June 2009, Mr Al Fayed commissioned a statue in his friend’s memory which was supposed to be erected outside his Harrods store. However, after the store was sold, he decided the appropriate alternative for the tribute would be Craven Cottage.

"He was my friend, a man with whom I shared many happy memories and who died a tragic and untimely death,” said the 78-year-old. “He left behind a legacy of music so vast it takes one’s breath away; from a precocious talent to an ingenuity and ground breaking modernity that shall never be repeated.

“It shall be often be imitated, but it will never be replicated, Michael Jackson was, and shall always remain, one of a kind. I hope that many fans of his will visit the statue at the Cottage from far and wide, and that Fulham fans will appreciate seeing the finest performer in the world, in and amongst them, the finest fans in the world.”

The statue portrays the singer in one of his most famous poses will be located on the banks of the River Thames, adjacent to the Riverside and Hammersmith Stands at the stadium.

Fayed added: “Michael Jackson was truly a legend, a term used too often in this modern world saturated in the hyperbole surrounding celebrity.”

Watch Michael Jackson's official video for 'Black or White' below: