Final whistle blows for Shropshire football veteran Dicky Rhodes, 80

Dicky Rhodes literally stepped into the boots of one of the greats, Peter Broadbent, but his own dreams of stardom were dashed by one injudicious signing – to Her Majesty's Armed Forces – which scuppered his prospects of a top-flight footballing career.

Richard Rhodes, known as Dicky in his playing days and by the nickname "Tadger" in his childhood, died at home at Coronation Crescent, Madeley. The funeral is on Tuesday at All Saints Church, Broseley, at 1pm, followed by cremation at Telford.

Brought up in Broseley, and one of eight children in a two-bedroomed house – six of whom slept in one bed – he began as a centre forward at Ironbridge Youth Club in 1950 and played for Shropshire for 10 years between 1951 and 1962, missing just one season, and turning out in every position except that of goalkeeper.

He was 15 when he signed for Stan Cullis's Wolves and was to recall: "I played for the Wolves youth team against Duncan Edwards and Bobby Charlton in the Busby Babes.

"Billy Wright heard that I was from Ironbridge Youth Club and, being an Ironbridge lad himself, used to come and see me training on a Thursday night.

"When I was at the Wolves, Peter Broadbent came to the club. He was brilliant. They signed him from Brentford in a record signing in those days.

"When he came to the Wolves, Stan Cullis gave me his football boots. He said, 'If you can ever play half as well as him you'll be playing for England soon.'

"The boots were hard Totectors. Anybody who got kicked by one of those knew they had got kicked. That's how it was. Sadly, those boots were the victims of a clearout a while ago."

At the age of 18, Dicky did his national service but, instead of the usual two years, was persuaded by an RAF officer to put himself down as a physical training instructor, which meant five years. Wolves were not prepared to wait that long, and let him go.

He played for the RAF, and while based at RAF St Athan in South Wales, would travel down on the train with his big friend, former Villa star Gerry Hitchens – who hailed from Highley – who was then playing for Cardiff. Dicky was able to get in stints with Bury Reserves, and also, in the days that Harry Potts was manager, Shrewsbury Town under-21s, scoring both goals when they beat a very good Sankey's team 2-1.

He said: "Sankey's managing director Freddie Hibbert sent one of his main men to ask me to sign for them, saying I would have a job doing nothing."

The upshot was that Dicky became a "progress chaser" at Sankey's, a collar and tie job, although not one in which he actually did nothing.

He moved from Sankey's to play for Highley Miners for six years, leaving them in 1966 and joining Donnington Wood. The last time he played was at the age of 54, when he was prevailed upon to turn out for a Telford Development Corporation team on the artificial turf at Lilleshall.

In all his career his stoutest supporter was his wife Sybil, whose maiden name is Jones, and who survives him. They began courting when she was 15, and she watched him in every local match in which he played.

Dicky also leaves children Tony, Samantha, and Simon – his fourth child was the late Debra – and 10 grandsons.