Ex-Chesterfield striker Kristian Dennis pays tribute to former teammate Jordan Sinnott

The 25-year-old was assaulted on a night out in Retford, Nottinghamshire, in the early hours of last Saturday and passed away later that evening in hospital.

Two men, aged 21 and 22, have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the incident and a third man, aged 21, has been charged with affray.

Sinnott and Dennis played together for the Spireites in the 2017/18 season and remained good friends when the latter left to join Notts County, who Town face at Meadow Lane tomorrow.

Dennis revealed that Sinnott was coming to his wedding in the summer and said that he will dedicate his goal to him if he scores on Saturday.

Explaining how he heard about the news, Dennis told Nottinghamshire Live: “My missus said ‘you need to ring me’.

“So I rang her and she told me what had gone on.

“I was gobsmacked. You can see from the tributes that are being paid to him now - and with the shirt campaign - how much he was loved by everyone.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“He was coming to my wedding in the summer.

“You don’t really keep contact with a lot of players once you leave a club, but Jordan was the total opposite.

“I always spoke to him and met up with a few times with him and his missus. It’s so sad.”

Dennis scored 27 goals in 78 games for Chesterfield in two seasons.

He bagged the winner for County against the Spireites at the Proact in the FA Trophy in December.

Chesterfield edged the first league fixture in October with Gevaro Nepomuceno scoring the only goal of the game.

“I went to see the family the other night with my missus, and you’ve just go to support them at this time,” Dennis added.

“If I score, then I will dedicate my goal to him as we were both there at Chesterfield. Hopefully I can get on the pitch to do that.”