IT JUST FEELS SO STRANGE WITHOUT HIM

EVERYONE knows how talented Jordan was as a player. He could do anything with a ball. But forget the football, the best thing I can say about him was how special he was as a person. At the start of that promotion season with FC Halifax, I was out injured and doing my rehab elsewhere so I didn’t actually meet Jordan until September time. Ever since we’ve been really close. Most of our relationship developed from just leathering each other! We’d give each other constant stick. Everyone got on with him. He was that type of person. You see all the tributes about how pleasant he was to be around, they’re not just clichés. He was a bundle of joy and a great lad to have in a dressing room.

He was only 22 when I first met him but, for a young lad, he had an old head on his shoulders. He could mix in all types of circles.

He was positive on life. I don’t think I ever saw him in a bad mood. That’s why it’s so sad. People always say they only take the best and that’s literally what’s happened. I had problems in my own life at that time and he helped me through them. He stayed at my house a couple of times, we went on nights out and we bounced off each other.

It hasn’t sunk in what has happened. It’s tragic. But the response is what gets you through for the time being. The donated shirts are amazing.

I worry how it will feel in a couple of months – when you pick your phone up and go to give someone some stick on WhatsApp, you realise he’s not there any more. Before the game against Dover Athletic on Tuesday night, the two clubs carried Jordan’s shirts out and we had a minute’s silence.

It was a very emotional night. He will probably look down laughing his head off at me getting myself in a mess. It’s a massive loss. We’ve reformed the WhatsApp group in our own tribute to him and we’re planning to raise some money for the family.

At the moment it’s really raw and hard to accept. You keep expecting him to pop up and tell us he’s winding us up. Obviously that’s not the case and it’s so upsetting. Even though his life was taken far too soon, I’m sure his family will be extremely proud of what a good person they raised. I hope they can take comfort from that.