George Melling: Footballer with motor neurone disease dies aged 37

An "inspirational" footballer who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year has died.

Father-of-three George Melling, 37, captained Longridge Town in Lancashire and used to be on the books of Blackpool and Morecambe.

Paying tribute, his widow Nicci Melling said: "Everyone is so very proud of the horrendous battle that you tried so hard to fight."

Writing in a tweet, Longridge described the news as "heartbreaking".

Mrs Melling said: "Motor neurone disease is not the definition of George Melling, it was just the cruel, cruel disease that took him away from us.

"He was a fantastic father, a terrible dancer, the life and soul of the party and I'm so very proud to call him my husband."

Longridge Town play in the North West Counties Football League, which is in the 10th tier of English football. In non-league football, Mr Melling also played for Altrincham, Kendal Town and Colne.

He previously received messages of support from ex-Manchester United players Gary Neville, Wes Brown, David May and Dwight Yorke.

Other well-wishers included boxer Ricky Hatton and former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Bolo Zenden.

Longridge manager Lee Ashcroft told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Ever since he got the disease everything he did was inspirational."

Mr Ashcroft said he was proud to call the player his friend and told how he had spent much of the past week with him.

"Of the 2,000 players I have played with and managed he was everything you want in a football team on and off the field."

"He kept fighting to the end. I will think about him until the day I die."

Mr Melling, who worked as an engineer, said the stories of elite footballers had been "an inspiration rather something to terrify me".

Speaking at the time of his diagnosis, he said: "This is a brutal disease but I have come to terms with it and I am determined to fight it with everything I have.

"I just want to raise as much awareness of the disease and as much money to help with a cure as I can."

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