Notts County: Death of CEO Jason Turner an emotional motivator, says Macauley Langstaff

Jason Turner was appointed as Notts County chief executive in March 2016

The sudden death of chief executive Jason Turner will be an "emotional" motivator in Notts County's push for promotion, says record-breaking Magpies striker Macaulay Langstaff.

Turner, who passed away last week aged 50, will be commemorated at Friday's home game against Wealdstone.

Langstaff says Turner was instrumental in bringing him to Notts and was seen as "more than a CEO" at the club.

"Hopefully he is looking down on us and willing us on," Langstaff said.

Friday's match against Wealdstone will be Notts' first since Turner's death.

A flag in tribute to him will be displayed in the Kop stand at Meadow Lane while both sides will wear back armbands, and a minute's applause will take place before kick-off.

'We are all suffering'

Turner's family will also be at the match, saying they could not miss the chance to join the club and its supporters "in remembering him at what was his second home".

"It'll be an emotional day," Langstaff told BBC East Midlands Today.

"We have to use that in a positive way because we know what Jason would want - he would want us to kick on and we have to use that as motivation.

"We know how much he thought of us and want to repay that by doing it on the pitch."

Notts boss Luke Williams said the club "lost a special person that we all loved".

"It's fair to say we are all suffering," Williams said.

"Jason was a unique person because everything you could imagine had a link to him and he did everything in a spectacular way.

"There are many reminders of how great he was, so it has been challenging."

Williams said he and everyone at Notts had the "privilege" to learn from Turner and that he will remain an important influence as the National League high-flyers try to return to the English Football League.

"To drop our levels would be an insult, because everything you see the lads do on the pitch was a reflection of how Jason ran the club behind the scenes," Williams said.

"We have to override the feeling of sadness with our responsibility to show respect to him and the incredible job that he did."