TRIBUTES have been paid to a "legendary" footballer who starred for both Chester and Wrexham.

One-time inside forward Mick Metcalf has passed away at the age of 79 after a period of illness.

Mr Metcalf, who lived at Golftyn Lane, Connah's Quay, was part of Chester's "Famous Five" frontline of the 1960s who plundered goals in the old Fourth Division. During the 1964/65 season the striker and his fellow forwards Jimmy Humes, Elfed Morris, Hugh Ryden and Gary Tablot scored more than 20 times in Chester's total goal tally of 119, but it was still not enough to win them promotion.

He moved to the Cheshire club from Wrexham for a £5,000 fee in 1963 and went on to chalk up a Chester club record consecutive appearance record of 127 games between1964 and 1967, which lasted until 2009. In all he netted more than 120 goals for Wrexham and Chester between 1957 and 1969.

Former Chester goalkeeper and a member of Chester's Former Players Association Grenville Millington recalls watching Metcalf play as a teenager and says he was later indebted to the Liverpool-born footballer for encouraging him to stick with a career in professional football.

"Mick played in the team I supported and I watched him every week before I played with him at Rhyl. I followed him to Witton Albion where he was the manager and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have had the career I had," recalled Mr Millington. "I was thinking of joining the police force and he told me to keep playing and he would try and help get me back in the Football League.

"He was my big brother, my uncle and my mate and his passing is very sad. We went to see him eight months ago when he was in hospital and he was talking about taking things a bit easier."

Chairman of Chester's Former Players Association Alan Tarbuck was also on the hospital visit and said: "It is very sad. Mick was part of our former player's association and we had lot of get togethers.

"We have a former players' bowls team who play a Wrexham former players' team every year to keep up that link that has often been between players who have played for both clubs like Mick.

"Mick played for us several times and he would come down and see our games too.

"In his playing days he was a quick inside forward and very skilful.

"We are all very sad as he was one of living legends, he is in our Legends Hall of Fame at the club."

Mr Metcalf, who also played for Altrincham, Bangor and Rhyl, joined Wrexham as a part-timer so he could finish a Chemistry degree. He went on to run his own chemical firm Metlab Supplies Ltd, which is still in his family's ownership.