Adam Rogers' family said yesterday's manslaughter verdict represented justice and spoke of their relief that their son’s good name had been preserved.

And while they spoke of their deep personal grief, they also said they hoped his killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, would eventually get the chance to ‘make something of himself’.

After the verdict was announced to a tense court Number Eight at Preston Crown Court, Adam’s family and friends hugged and expressed their relief.

Following the sentence, Adam’s parents, of Dukes Brow, Blackburn, made a tearful and dignified statement.

His father, Dave Rogers, said: “We are relieved the right verdict was reached. We recognise it is a tragic situation for both families.

"As far as the defendant is concerned, he has a chance to face up to what he has done and a chance of making something of his life. Adam unfortunately hasn’t.

"I hope he takes his chance.”

Mum Pat added: “Adam’s life was taken. We didn’t want his reputation to be taken too.”

The Rogers family also told of their loss. Mrs Rogers said: “I read stories about families who have been completely destroyed by something like this. We have three lovely sons still with us and cannot make their lives more miserable.

“We don’t want it to destroy us, but it’s very hard to bring back any joy into life. We’ve got to work for each other and for our family.

“I just don’t want it to be that there’s no future and no joy. Adam definitely wouldn’t want that for us, but it’s hard to see a way through it.

“I don’t want any parent to ever have to go through what we have.”

Mr Rogers added: “I feel like screaming out loud sometimes. Your mind knows he’s not here, but your whole body wants him to be here with us.

“The way he died, we find it so hard because it’s not like an accident or illness. It was something so stupid and avoidable and that makes it even harder to deal with.

“Adam had a smile as a baby which stayed with him right through.

“The first thing you saw about him was his smile. One of his friends said that you only had to meet Adam once and you knew him. He didn’t have a front. He was very comfortable being him.

“That’s the thing which made him so popular, so approachable, so unthreatening. He was very affectionate. We miss his humour around us. He could light up a room.”

Adam was known as ‘Podge’, which started in junior school – a play on his surname Rogers, made ironic by his tall, slim build. He loved sport, playing football in the back garden from the age of two.

At Blackburn’s Sacred Heart Primary School he was on the fringe of the team which progressed to a cup final. Adam continued to develop as a footballer at secondary school at St Bede’s, also playing for Knuzden and Darwen Rangers.

A Manchester City fan, he and his dad were season ticket holders before Adam went to university and would always discuss games over the phone.

He studied at St Mary’s College where his mum, Pat, was assistant principal, before taking a sports coaching degree at the University of Cumbria.

Adam had been coaching Padiham Ladies Football Club, travelling back from Cumbria for training and matches every week because he’d ‘given his word’ before moving north.

He had been taking his coaching badges, with the ultimate dream to be a professional football coach, and had been temporarily working for coach company Fraser Eagle in the meantime.

At the beginning of June, Adam came back to Blackburn after he and his girlfriend Emma amicably went their separate ways. Adam was the first of Dave and Pat’s two children together, and Jamie, 23, the second. Elder brothers Dominic, 34, and Tim, 33, are from Pat’s first marriage.

If Adam had got up from the fatal punch which ended his life, he would have invited his attacker for a game of football on the computer.

So say his friends who turned out in force to hear the jury confirm what they already knew – ‘Podge’ (Adam’s nickname) would never have threatened the 16-year-old.

It was the youth’s ‘self-defence’ argument which so appalled anyone who came into contact with the lovable 24-year-old.

Oliver Smalley, 25, who had known Adam since they started playing for Darwen Rangers together aged nine, said: “Podge had that ability to make the best of a situation and would always crack a smile.

"We never had any doubt in our minds that Adam would ever get involved in an argument, let alone violence.

“He was the best one. The nicest person, a diamond. We came to represent Podge like he should have been represented.”

Scott Eaton, 25, said: “Podge was the worst person he could have hit because he’s the only one who wouldn’t retaliate.”

Charlotte O’Malley, 24, had known Adam all through nursery and school. She said: “There was no malice in him. He never even raised his voice. The important thing for us is his name and honour is still there.”