FORMER Blackburn Rovers and Burnley player Walter Joyce has died at the age of 62 after a short illness.

The Manchester United youth team coach was connected with most of the Lancashire football clubs during his playing and coaching career.

He joined Burnley in late 1954 and made 70 appearances as a defender and midfielder for the Clarets before joining Blackburn for £12,000 in February 1964.

Walter spent three years at Ewood Park, making 134 appearances, before moving on to his home town club, Oldham Athletic, where he finished his playing days.

He joined the coaching staff at Oldham in 1979 and became manager at Rochdale in 1973.

In 1977 he moved on to Bolton Wanderers, where he stayed until 1985 as both coach and assistant manager.

He was later on the coaching staff at both Preston North End and Bury before spending his last years on the youth coaching staff at Manchester United.

His son, Warren, is currently manager of Hull City and played for Burnley in the mid 1990s and played with both Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End while his father was on the coaching staff there.

Burnley Manager Stan Ternent today said: "Walter was a gentleman in the fullest sense who worked with me for four years as youth development officer at Bury.

"There are a lot of players who owe their opportunity to Walter and my thoughts are with his family at this time.

"He was only here at Burnley ten days ago as a guest of the club, football pales into insignificance when things like this happen. I have very fond memories of him."

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