Irish Liverpool fan awakes from coma
Seán Cox was viciously attacked at Anfield in April
LIVERPOOL fan Seán Cox has regained consciousness three months after he was viciously attacked outside a pub ahead of a Champions League clash at Anfield.
Recovery is now progressing positively but very slowly for Mr Cox, a 53-year-old father of three from Dunboyne, Co. Meath, according to an online statement from his colleagues at Precision Cables.
It is understood he remains at Beaumont Hospital on Dublin’s northside, and is undergoing a rehabilitation programme.
Mr Cox, who attended the semifinal between Liverpool and AC Roma with his brother on April 24, suffered a severe bleed to the brain following a horrific assault near the Albert pub outside Anfield before the match.
He was treated for his injuries at Liverpool’s Walton Centre, and was then airlifted to Beaumont Rehab programme: Sean Cox Hospital at the end of May, where he has since received round-theclock care.
In a statement released online on www.electric.ie, his colleagues said they have been overwhelmed by the support and good wishes for Mr Cox and his family that they receive on a daily basis since the assault. Colleagues asked friends and members of the public ‘to keep him in your prayers’ as Mr Cox continues on his road to recovery.
Well-wishers from around the world have rallied round Mr Cox and his family in the past three months, raising more than €90,000 to assist the heartbroken family with medical costs.
In May, prior to his return to Ireland, his wife and family praised Seán, as well as the public and medical staff for their support.
In a statement released on Liverpool FC’s website, the family thanked everyone for the support they received since the attack.
‘There are no words to describe the gratitude we feel to the ordinary people of Liverpool and Ireland who have taken Seán to their hearts in a way that underlines why those places have such a deserved reputation for generosity and solidarity,’ they said in the May statement. They added that Mr Cox was a ‘fighter and that, coupled with the medical and spiritual support he is receiving, gives us hope in our hearts and we long for the day when our husband, dad and brother returns home to Dunboyne so we can be together as a family once more’.
Following the attack, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had voiced his own shock over the assault and his support for Mr Cox: ‘When I heard, I can’t describe my emotions,’ he told a press conference three days after the attack. ‘It should never happen. It’s unbelievable.’
Former Ireland and Aston Villa player Paul McGrath tweeted: ‘Delighted to hear that Liverpool supporter Seán Cox has regained consciousness after three months in a coma following a brutal attack before the Liverpool v Roma game. Wishing Sean and his family all the best.’
Roma fan Filippo Lombardi, 21, has pleaded not guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. Fellow Roma fan Daniele Sciusco, 29, has pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
‘Progressing well but slowly’