FORMER Middlesbrough skipper Gordon Jones has led the tributes to former Boro striker John O’Rourke, who has died at the age of 71.

O’Rourke is best remembered by Middlesbrough supporters for the 30 goals he scored to help the club win promotion from the old Division Three in the 1966-67 season.

Signed by Boro boss Stan Anderson from Luton Town, O’Rourke continued to score goals in Division Two before moving to Ipswich Town. He later had spells with Coventry City, QPR, Bournemouth, Rangers Johannesburg and Weymouth. He died in a hospital in Dorset after battling liver cancer.

Jones, who is the treasurer of Middlesbrough Former Players Association, said: “I remember John coming to Middlesbrough and the impact he had. Raich Carter had been manager and signed a lot of Scottish players, a bit like Gordon Strachan did a few years ago.

“Raich got the sack but we ended up in Division Three. That’s when new boss Stan Anderson brought in new players and a few young lads including John.

“John was a great goalscorer. He wasn’t the sort who would run around all over the place, but he was very quick and had an eye for goal. In the box he was absolutely deadly, forming a great partnership with John Hickton and Arthur Horsfield.

“He was also probably one of the first lads in football who was a male model. He used to do the catwalk, modelling men’s suits for the likes of Cecil Gee’s, a local menswear store, so we used to give him some unbelievable stick in the dressing room. But he was a good lad and took it all well.

“As many of us have from that era, we’d kept in touch all this time. He came up for a Middlesbrough game as my guest two years ago and it was just like old times. He said to me that of all the clubs he was at Middlesbrough was probably his happiest time.

“Everyone at Middlesbrough Former Players Association send their sympathies to John’s wife and family.”