FOR three years in the 1970s, a young Neal Butterworth was a budding football star on the books of Manchester City.

Even Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton was among those who reckoned the strapping centre-back could make it in the big time and Neal made numerous appearances for the Blues' reserve side.

His talent as a sportsman was also reflected in him being named Young Sports Personality of the Year in the Manchester area as a teenager.

But Neal had another dream.

One day he said to his father: “You know, Dad, I really want to be a journalist.”

Such was his single-mindedness that barely three years later, he became the youngest newspaper editor in the country at the age of 23, when he was appointed to Eddy Shah’s Stockport Messenger.

Neal, the editor of the Daily Echo from 1998-2011, died on Monday at Poole Hospital after battling cancer for several months. He was 55.

Born in Manchester, Neal attended the local grammar school, something he and his family were immensely proud of.

After his stint on papers in Manchester, Neal moved south in 1987 – partly because he was already driving south pretty much every weekend to see his girlfriend, Julie, who soon became his wife.

He worked in a number of roles within Southern Newspapers (now Newsquest), edited the New Forest Post and the Southampton Advertiser and then headed the Advertiser Series in Dorset before becoming editor of the Daily Echo and Advertiser Series in 1998.

He was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the two Dorset dailies in 2008.

Good causes were always close to his heart and, during his 13 years as Daily Echo Editor, the newspaper raised more than £7million for local charities and won a series of awards, including the Regional Newspaper of the Year in 2011.

In both the charitable sector and in community journalism, especially, he is widely considered to have “made a difference.”

Neal was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Bournemouth University in 2007 for his contribution to the town.

And being made a ‘Paul Harris Fellow’, by the Rotary Club of Bournemouth, the organisation’s highest award, was just one of many other accolades bestowed on him.

He was a big Bruce Springsteen fan and lifelong Manchester United supporter.

Though he was seriously ill, he took great delight in the Reds winning another Premiership title just a couple of weeks ago.

After leaving the Echo in 2011 and then moving briefly to Spain, the devoted family man described himself as a media specialist, writer, editor, trainer and speaker.

During a successful career, Neal hosted dozens of awards ceremonies and delivered hundreds of thought-provoking speeches. He won numerous journalism awards for his popular Echo and Advertiser columns which were his own light-hearted look at the world.

While at the Echo the proud father and grandfather, who lived in Poole, forged many friendships both in the newsroom and in the wider community.

Writing recently following his diagnosis, after being admitted to a Spanish hospital with suspected food poisoning, Neal said: “When the specialist eventually summoned up the wherewithal and the vocabulary to explain what was going on, I assumed I would be lucky to see Christmas or my 55th birthday.

He added: “From the positivity of the people treating me, to the support of wonderful family and fantastic friends, I know at some stage I will kick cancer’s sorry ass. And because my own cancer can’t at this stage be cured, I’ll just have to keep sticking the boot in.”

Neal is survived by his wife Julie and daughters Gemma and Dayna.

His funeral service takes place next Friday at St James’ Church, Poole at 3pm.

Donations through Tappers Funeral Service to Beating Bowel Cancer and Cancer Research UK.