A MAN found dead near a North-East pub was once Newcastle United's top junior striker, collecting awards as a promising teenager, it emerged yesterday.

Gary Walton won the club's Golden Boot for scoring 39 goals for the reserves in 1980-81, in the middle of a three-year spell with the Magpies.

He was taken to United by another prolific scorer, Alan Shoulder, who grew up in the same County Durham village and remained a life-long friend.

Mr Walton's body was found early on Monday morning behind the Miners Arms, in Coundon.

Last night, Christopher Martin McGrath, 23, was charged with his murder. Mr McGrath was arrested at a house in Evenwood on Monday morning. He will appear before Bishop Auckland magistrates today.

Mr Walton, a 37-year-old father-of-two, had suffered massive head injuries and could only be identified by his fingerprints.

Police believe an attack took place in the pub garden some time after 1am on Monday.

Earlier on the Sunday even-ing, Mr Walton had been drinking in the village's workmen's club and had also been in the Miners Arms.

He lived near the pub in Collingwood Street with his wife, Susan, and daughters Laura, 11, and eight-year-old Kara, who both go to Coundon Primary School.

The strapping 6ft 1in centre forward had also played for pub teams in the Coundon area.

Alan Shoulder saw him for the last time on Friday night. He said: "He was a brilliant friend. I took him to Newcastle, but he never got a first team contract. I am sure he would have gone from strength to strength if he had.

"He was lethal striker and a great lad to have around. He was one of the funniest men I have ever known, the life and soul of every party. He never had a bad word for anybody and would never look for trouble. It is an awful tragedy."

Mr Shoulder was one of the first people Mrs Walton contacted on Monday when her husband failed to return home.

He said: "I last saw him on Friday and he rang me on Sunday afternoon for a game of golf. He said he would ring back on Monday but, of course, he never did."

Detective Superintendent Tom Ryan, who is leading a 40-strong team of police, appealed for information from anyone who had been near the Miners Arms early on Monday to contact the incident room on (01388) 603566