Joey Jones given 'send off he deserves' at Racecourse

Fans have been celebrating the life of "Mr Wrexham" at Wrexham AFC

Hundreds of people have attended a celebration of the life of former Wales international Joey Jones at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground.

Jones died on 22 July aged 70 and played for Liverpool, Chelsea and Huddersfield Town as well as Wrexham over a glittering career.

Known as Mr Wrexham, he made 370 league appearances for the Welsh club and fans said the service would give him "the send off he deserves".

Close friend Mickey Thomas was among those who read tributes and described Jones as "an incredible human being", adding "he will never die in my eyes".

Jones' coffin was carried into the stadium at 12:30 BST on Wednesday, with former Wales international Ian Rush among the bearers.

Wrexham is the Name was played at the start of the service, and the crowd of family, friends and supporters sang the Welsh national anthem.

The service was told Jones had two great loves: football and his family.

"His family meant everything to him", the crowd was told.

The club has also confirmed plans to commission a statue in his honour outside the new Kop Stand.

Hundreds of fans attended the memorial service

Jones began his professional career at Wrexham in 1973, before joining Liverpool two years later.

At Anfield he played a key role in back-to-back First Division titles, the 1976 UEFA Cup triumph against Club Brugge and a year later became the first Welshman to win the European Cup.

That run to the final led to Liverpool fans creating a 24ft (7m) banner that read "Joey ate the frogs legs, made the Swiss roll, now he's munching Gladbach".

Leanne and Johnpaul Valentine, from Wrexham, said Joey Jones was "a class player"

Jones later returned to Wrexham as their record signing, a title which he held until 2022, before joining Chelsea in 1982, winning promotion from the Second Division in 1983-84.

He then joined Huddersfield Town before returning to Wrexham for a third stint at the club where he finished his career in 1992, spanning almost 600 league appearances.

Jones won 72 caps for Wales, scoring one goal, and sits joint 15th alongside Mark Hughes in Wales' most-capped male players list.

Tony Williams, from Buckley in Flintshire, says he has been "a lifelong fan"

Fans Leanne and Johnpaul Valentine, who attended the service, said: "He means a lot to everybody who knows him. You say his name and they know exactly who you're talking about."

When asked what Jones meant to the fans, lifelong supporter Tony Williams said: "He meant everything. He came back here twice. He had three spells at Wrexham...he always came back to his roots."

Another attendee, Geraint Lloyd, added: "He wasn't just a footballer, he was a friend to the Wrexham community. We've lost a proper warrior and a proper legend."