Butcher scores on New Year's Day

Macclesfield Town have announced that midfielder Richard Butcher has died at the age of 29.

The ex-Kettering, Oldham, Peterborough, Notts County and Lincoln City man's death comes less than a year since the loss of Macc boss Keith Alexander.

Macc chairman Mike Rance told BBC Radio Manchester: "We're devastated just 10 months after Keith Alexander passed on.

"We're facing the same sort of issues and nobody at the club can get their mind around what's happened."

Rance added: "Richard was an exemplary professional and a thoroughly likeable young man, a total role model for young professionals.

"He didn't turn up at training this morning and our manager Gary Simpson was concerned, as it's not like him.

"After investigation, we discovered his wife was away and that he'd passed away overnight.

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"There's no indication of anything other than natural causes but we don't know any more at this point in time.

"We are just struggling to cope at this point in time that such a young and likeable individual has been lost."

Butcher only joined the Silkmen in the summer on a two-year deal following a successful loan spell, having initially been signed by Alexander, for the fifth time in his career, on 9 February 2010.

But Alexander died less than a month later, on 3 March 2010.

No details have been given regarding Butcher's death.

He started his career at Northampton before moving to Rushden & Diamonds in 2000, but did not make his first-team debut in the game until moving to Kettering the following year.

He was then signed for the first time by Alexander at Lincoln in 2002, before moving on to Oldham in 2005.

However, just four months later, he was on loan at the Imps again before following Alexander again to Peterborough in 2006.

Butcher played at London Road for a season before joining Notts County, where he made 88 appearances.

He then rejoined Lincoln when Alexander signed him for a third time in 2009, bringing his appearance tally for the club up to 142.

The Northampton-born player played 17 times for Macc, including nine appearances this season, the last of which came just a week ago in the 2-0 home defeat by Rotherham.

Notts County chief executive Jim Rodwell, who was at Rushden with Butcher, told his club's website: "It is a massive shock to hear the news.

"He was my boot-boy during my time with Rushden & Diamonds.

"He was a great personality with a lot of friends and he'll be sorely missed."

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