Norwich City legend Ron Davies, who played a starring centre forward role for the Canaries in the 1960s, has died at the age of 70.

Davies was a prolific scorer for City, scoring 66 goals in 126 games between 1963 and 1966 and was known particularly for his skill in the air. Many fans believe he was one of the best headers of the ball there has ever been in English football.

The striker was sold to Southampton in 1966 for a derisory sum of £55,000 which sparked an outcry among Canaries fans at the time.

The Welsh international scored 153 times in 281 games during a seven-year spell with Southampton and is still eighth in their list of all-time highest league goalscorers.

Davies appeared 29 times for his country, scoring nine goals.

Lifelong Canaries fan and former Mayor of Norwich Roy Blower paid tribute to Davies on the club's official website: 'He was a fantastic striker and very professional. One of the finest headers of the ball I've seen.

'I was at Luton Town when he scored four goals for them in a 4-2 win for the Hatters and he really gave us the runaround that day, so City went on to sign him.

'He was an excellent goalscorer, he wasn't about muscling people off the ball, he had real quality and you could tell he was one of those who was probably going to go on to bigger and better things.

'He was very popular with the fans as he was one of those players who could turn a game for you. I remember us being 2-0 down at home to Leeds United in 1964 and he scored two in about five minutes to get us a draw.

'The fans were certainly disappointed when he left us to join Southampton and of course he went on to have a tremendous career with them.'

Davies is understood to have passed away in hospital in Albuquerque, in the United States on Friday, a day short of his 71st birthday.