Mansfield Town star and country singer Dick Edwards dies at 82

A Mansfield Town statement said: “The club sends its condolences to Dick's family at this time. May he rest in peace.”

Born in Kirkby in 1942, England youth international Edwards played for East Kirkby Welfare Juniors and then worked as a miner, eventually signing for Notts County after a trial with Nottingham Forest in 1957, turning professional in 1959.

Eight years later, having made 245 appearances and scoring 21 goals, Stags' manager Tommy Cummings paid the Magpies £5,000 for his services.

The defender became a very popular player at Field Mill, and when Cummings took over at Aston Villa in the summer of 1968, he paid a handsome £30,000 feeto take Edwards to Villa Park.

He made 68 league appearances for Villa over three years before moving to Torquay in June 1970 for £8,000 and became a firm favourite at Plainmoor too, making 117 appearances and scoring seven goals during his time there.

He came close to being signed by Manchester United after playing for the Red Devils ‘on trial’ in a match at Aberdeen in 1972.

Edwards returned to Mansfield for the 1973-74 season. In his two spells at the Stags, he made 82 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice.

Another short spell followed at Torquay as well as a spell as player-coach at Bath City in 1974.

Away from football he was a real entertainer, having played guitar since the age of 15.

At Villa he played his guitar for his team-mates on trips away and in the Lion’s Club, and he also played local venues around the city

On retirement he started up as a country and western singer and club entertainer during the summer months at Torquay in 1972, playing for thousands of people ar Pontins, and pursued that for many years.

Edwards even played at Wembley Conference Centre, having got into a songwriting competition in which he entered three original songs and made the last 10 out of 850 entries.

He recorded several albums and singles with sons Dan and Matt as The Edwards Boys and one of his songs, Those Pretty Eyes, even made No.2 in the American country charts.

At Torquay he also paired up with team mate Bruce Stuckey to record TUFC anthem ‘Oh United’ as the Dick Edwards Duo.

However, his singing career was cut short when he was diagnosed with throat cancer.

He had pioneering surgery, one of only seven people afforded this technique before the surgeon retired, but continued to play guitar with Dan and Matt providing vocals.