WARRINGTON Town have started a crowdfunder for former player James Dean, who was found dead over the weekend.
Dean, 35, was a striker who played a handful of times for the Yellows at the start of the 2016/17 season.
He was reported missing from Oswaldtwistle last week and Lancashire Police reported on Sunday that a body had been found.
Now Yellows chairman Toby Macormac has kick-started a Just Giving page, to help raise money for Dean’s family and his two sons.
It had already reached £3,500 of its £10,000 target within 12 hours of going online.
Macormac said: “James touched so many people on his footballing journey and now the Non-League family will come together to help and support his.”
Tributes had poured in for the popular Dean, who played for several clubs in the north west, including Clitheroe, Bury, Altrincham, Stalybridge Celtic, Hyde United, AFC Fylde, Ashton United, Padiham and Trafford.
He was part of Northern Premier League promotion-winning sides at FC Halifax Town and Chorley, where he enjoyed the best spells of his career in National League North.
The Lancashire Police statement said: A statement said: “Following extensive police enquiries a body was sadly found in the Moscow Mill Street area around 2.25pm today (Sunday, May 9).
“While the body has yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be Mr Dean. His family have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this time.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.”
Donations can be made online via https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/james-deane-2
