The impact "father figure" and former Cliftonville striker Keith Alexander had on Paul Morgan's career before tragic death aged 53

Alexander turned to management after 22 years as a professional footballer, during which he represented 24 different clubs – including a short stint with the Reds in the Irish League in 1995.

He scored on his debut in a 4-3 victory against Portadown and also netted twice as Cliftonville knocked Linfield out of the League Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Morgan, who grew up through the ranks of Carnmoney Colts before moving onto St Andrews in Belfast where he played with the likes of Darren Fitzgerald and Colin Nixon, signed for Preston North End aged 16 and first came into contact with Alexander after transferring to Lincoln City in 2001.

Alexander was Director of Coaching before taking up the manager’s job for the following season and that started a relationship that almost helped define Morgan’s career.

The Northern Ireland youth international tried to follow Alexander to Peterborough United in 2006 only for Lincoln to block the move but linked back up with his former boss at Bury, where he was Director of Football.

They again struck up a partnership at Macclesfield Town in 2009 and Morgan was a senior player at the club when Alexander tragically passed away aged 53 in March 2010.

"I suppose I looked at him almost like a father figure,” said Morgan. “I got on with him really well and he understood me.

"He was just a very honest guy and you would have ran through a brick wall for him and that's why I followed him about.

"He was a great man and it was so sad to see him pass away at such a young age. I know his sons and still keep in contact with them.

"It was tragic, especially coming through the aneurysm he had at Lincoln (in 2003) and it was at Macclesfield when he passed away. Richard Butcher who I played with at Macclesfield passed away (aged 29 due to the heart condition cardiac arrhythmia) a year later and it was a really bad time.

"That made my mind up. I got to the stage where it was becoming too much of an effort to keep playing."

Alexander’s death was announced on March 3 and three days later Morgan and his teammates had to take to the field against Hereford United.

"It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life,” he added. "People say things like the Bill Shankly quote (‘Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that’), but it's nonsense.

"You're stood there on the halfway line greeting the other captain and doing the minute silence and I'm standing there thinking 'what am I doing here?'.

"Butch was the same. A year afterwards one of my best mates passed away at Macclesfield and he was a player so mentally it was draining and you're picking yourself up for the next game because you don't want to let anybody down, but really I didn't want to be there and I was crying in the toilets before every one of those games.

"You're walking out and trying to give your all but your head isn't there. I had made my mind up that would be my last season but I stayed for an extra one because the assistant manager that was best mates with Keith wanted me to stay and help him out.”

Alexander didn’t spend long with Cliftonville but it’s clear he made a real impact during his short stay, with club chairman Gerard Lawlor saying at the time of his death: “I thank Keith Alexander for the memories, the great goals, the great nights and for always being a friend to our club. In fact, as recently as this week, we had made arrangements with him to attend an official club function later in the year.”

The Solitude club marked the 13th anniversary of Alexander’s passing earlier this month with another tribute and Morgan says he would joke about how much he was loved in Ireland.

“He would always join in with training would big Keith and he was always saying he was a goalscorer and how loved he was in Ireland!” he laughed.

“He was saying he was adored by the Irish and I can understand that because anybody who met Keith would have fell in love with him.”

The passing of Alexander and then good friend Butcher gave Morgan a perspective of how quickly things can be taken away from you, and now working with the academy at Preston North End in his role of Head of Academy Sports Medicine & Science, he tells every young player to embrace the opportunity – and do so with a smile.

"Now in terms of my motivation with the lads I'm not talking about death but I talk about seizing the moment,” he said. “Don't think too far ahead and just enjoy every day - whatever you're doing, do it with a smile on your face and you won't go wrong.

"If you're in the gym or out playing do it with a smile because before you know it, it can be taken away. That could be through injury or being released. You have to grasp it while you can and if you have a smile on your face tomorrow can look after itself."