THE family of a promising teenage footballer, who died minutes after scoring a goal, have paid a moving tribute to their soccer-mad son.
A fairytale start to his first game for Atherton Laburnum Rovers under-17s turned to tragedy when rising star Daniel Young collapsed and died three minutes after scoring.
Today, his parents said he died playing the game he loved. Devoted Bolton Wanderers fan Daniel, aged 16, was playing centre midfield in a match with Bolton Lads Club at Tyldesley Rugby Club when he collapsed.
Daniel, of Tyldesley Road, Hindsford, Atherton, was put in a recovery position by officials and given emergency treatment on the pitch by paramedics before being taken to Bolton Royal Infirmary, where he died from a suspected heart attack.
In a statement released by the family, his devastated parents, Craig and Dionne, described him as a "typical teenager".
They said: "Our son Daniel, known to his friends as 'Youngy', was a typical teenager who gave the usual backchat at home, but touched everyone he met.
"He died playing the one game he loved and was popular, loved and respected by all his friends and team mates.
"His love for football started when he was four and he was selected to be mascot for Bolton Wanderers, the team he supported all his life.
"Daniel joined Hindsford Eagles at the age of seven and played for them until he was 16, when he signed for Laburnum Rovers the highlight of which was playing in the preliminary rounds of the FA Cup.
"We are happy for anyone who attends his funeral to wear a football shirt, as a celebration of his life."
Floral tributes have now been placed on the pitch.
One reads: "Danny your love of life and football will live through all of us. You'll live through all of us."
A Bolton Wanderers T-shirt placed among the tributes had the words: "Danny you were simply the best."
Daniel, a former pupil of Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, had recently switched clubs and started studying sports science at Pendleton College.
His devastated coach at Laburnam Rovers, Jonathan Brown, said Daniel had been earmarked for a successful future in the game.
Mr Brown, of Gloucester Street, Atherton, said: "Danny came to us in the summer from Hindsford FC where he had played since he was seven.
"He had done that well he was part of our first team which played in the FA Cup tie against Goole.
"He played five or 10 minutes with the first team to get him used to that level. The first team management thought very highly of him.
"Last week, he played at Darwen for our reserves. Sunday was the first time he had played for the under-17s because of these other commitments. He just slotted in at the club and had become part of the family. We are all gutted."
Mr Brown's wife, Nyree, who helps him run the side, could not believe what had happened.
"He was so bubbly and always joking,'" she said. "He was an absolute star. He was a cracking lad, a credit to his mum and dad.'"
Mr Brown said the team had met at 1pm on Sunday and everything had gone normally in their usual warm-up in preparation for the 2pm kick-off.
"It was the first time we had played on the pitches there. Now I don't know if we will ever be able to go back again.'" said Mr Brown.
"In the opening minutes we were playing the best football we had done since the team was formed four years ago. Danny was doing tremendously well in centre-mid.
"He picked a ball up on the left-hand side and shot and scored from 25 yards. We kicked off again and he picked up the ball again and played it to the right hand side to my son, Cory.
"He then moved back towards the centre area of the pitch and the next thing we knew Danny was on the floor. No one had tackled him.
"I went to him and realised it wasn't a normal situation. I got a couple of people to come over and we did what we could until the emergency servces arrived.
"They gave him resuscitation on the pitch in the high response vehicle and they gave him electric shock treatment, then took him to hospital.
"The ambulance had arrived within five minutes and was driven straight on to the pitch. They did everything to try to save Danny.'"
When Daniel's parents Craig and Dionne Young arrived in Bolton, having travelled from a relative's home in West Yorkshire, doctors had pronounced him dead.
Self-employed builder Mr Brown said: "Danny was the heart and soul of the squad. He kept himself in shape and looked after himself. He loved his football. You don't expect to go to a football match and go home with one player missing. The whole club is devastated.'"
The match was abandoned after Daniel collapsed and, later on Sunday his team mates returned to the pitch where he had collapsed to pay their respects and leave tibutes.
They met again at 9am yesterday to repeat their vigil.
As a mark of respect, all Atherton Laburnam Rovers under-17s games have been cancelled, as has tonight's first team game.
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