Liverpool fan Sean Cox says 'thank you' to supporters after attack left him with serious head injuries
A Liverpool FC fan who sustained a serious brain injury in an attack before a football match has spoken to the public for the first time since the assault.
Sean Cox suffered life-changing head trauma when he was struck in a random assault by a masked AS Roma supporter outside Anfield last April ahead of a Champions League tie.
He is being cared for in Ireland's National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, near Dublin.
A short video has been released of him raising his thumb and saying "thank you" to all those who have supported him and his family since the assault.
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The video comes ahead of a high-profile benefit match being held for Mr Cox in Dublin on Friday night.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out to see Liverpool and Ireland stars of yesteryear play to raise funds for the care he will need for the rest of his life.
His wife said the game at the Aviva Stadium would be the first time her husband would be out in public since the attack.
In February, Simone Mastrelli, 30, was jailed for three and half years after pleading guilty at Preston Crown Court to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.