Caretaker-manager Ian McParland has paid tribute to Macclesfield Town midfielder Richard Butcher, who died on Sunday. The 29-year-old, who passed away in his sleep, was in McParland’s side during his time as Notts County manager.
McParland said: "When I took over at Notts County, Butch was a member of the playing staff. I got a phone call on Monday night from Dave Kevan, my assistant manager, telling me what had happened. It’s unbelievable.
"He was such a nice lad, a fantastic lad in the dressing room, 29-years-of-age. He was infectious in the dressing room. Everybody liked him. Every player, if you ask him about Richard Butcher, they’d say what a fantastic lad he was.
"He was the fittest man in the squad, a midfield player. In the season I took over at Notts County we were third-bottom of League Two and Butch scored 12 goals and was the top scorer. His goals kept Notts County in the Football League. He was a fantastic lad. My heart goes out to his whole family and everybody connected with him.”
McParland says he was also close to Rushden and Diamonds keeper Dale Roberts, who took his own life last month: "Young Dale Roberts from Rushden and Diamonds was one of my players at Nottingham Forest. He played in the reserves and the youths there, and that was tragic as well.
"It does put things in perspective. It’s very sad and it’s not until things like that happen that everybody realises that some things maybe aren’t so important.”