Former Manchester United striker and Busby Babe Alex Dawson has died.
The 80-year-old Scot played for United between 1957 and 1961, scoring 45 goals in 80 league outings before joining Preston.
Dawson went on to play for Bury, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, scoring a total of 212 goals in 394 league appearances.
The ex-forward remains the most recent player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final after his treble against Fulham at Highbury in March of 1958.
The tweet from United said: "Our deepest sympathies are with the loved ones of former United forward and Busby Babe, Alex Dawson, who has sadly passed away at the age of 80.
"He will be fondly remembered by all of us at the club. May he rest in peace."
Dawson was not on the flight that took the lives of his team-mates in the tragic Munich air disaster, having not been selected by the legendary Sir Matt Busby.
![Alex Dawson [top left] played alongside the likes of Bobby Charlton and Harry Gregg](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article22372518.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Screen-Shot-2020-07-17-at-134858.png)
He said in an interview with the Daily Record in 2008: "When I heard the tragic news I thought I had better ring my mum because she would have expected me to be on the plane.
"I used to go on those trips and had a passport and visa all ready but the boss just told me I wasn't going this time.
"I had already been on two or three trips just to break me in.
"Chief coach Bert Whalley said to me, 'There will be another one for you,' but I wouldn't have wanted it in those circumstances.
"I know now how lucky I was to be left in Manchester. The omens were on my side."
Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor, Liam Whelan and Duncan Edwards all lost their lives.
Dawson is credited with helping rebuild the club after the tragedy, having scored against Sheffield Wednesday in the first match afterwards.
