Manchester City legend Neil Young has died

(GETTY IMAGES)

Former Manchester City forward Neil Young has died, aged 66, the club confirmed today.

Young joined City in 1959 as an apprentice and went on to play an integral role in the club's glory years, during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

He will be best remembered for scoring the winning goal in the 1969 FA Cup final defeat of Leicester.

City said on their official website, www.mcfc.co.uk: "Quiet and shy away from the game, he rarely visited the club in his later years, though still followed the Blues' progress keenly.

"He will be sadly missed by his wife Carmen, family, friends and everyone connected with Manchester City."

Born and raised locally in Fallowfield, Young finished top scorer for City in their title-winning season of 1968, netting twice in the 4-3 title-clinching victory at Newcastle on the final day of the campaign.

He also scored for the club he supported as a boy as City won the 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Young excelled alongside Francis Lee, Colin Bell, and Mike Summerbee but failed to win any England caps.

When first-team opportunities became fewer, he left Maine Road in 1972 after scoring 107 goals for the club in 412 appearances and signed for Preston North End. He retired after a brief spell at Rochdale in 1974-75.

Young was inducted into the Manchester City Hall of Fame in 2008 in acknowledgement of his services to the club.