THE FAMILY of the paralysed son of a former Burnley FC player are hoping to welcome him home this weekend for the first time since he was injured in a horror smash nine months ago.

Jonathan Brennan, 22, has been recovering in the spinal injuries unit at Southport Hospital since March.

He suffered serious head and spinal injuries when the Citroen C2 he was travelling in flipped and rolled over by junction 11 of the M65, before continuing up a steep embankment. He is now paralysed from the chest down.

His girlfriend, Lindsay Allen, escaped the crash with minor injuries.

Johnny, of Beverley Road, Blacko, was a promising footballer who had trials for Burnley Football Club before the accident left him unable to walk.

Johnny's parents Ian - who played for the Clarets in the 1970s - and Jean have visited the hospital every day.

Doctors say he could be in hospital for up to a year.

Former Liverpool, Celtic and Scotland legend Kenny Dalglish has also been at his bedside.

But his mum says the family are now looking forward to having Johnny home for the first time since the accident.

She said: "We are hoping to have Johnny home at the weekend. It will be good just to have him at home because he has lost a lot of weight being in hospital for so long so I'll be making sure he gets plenty to eat.

"He still has his long blonde hair. His hairdresser, Freddie, of Freddie's in Rawtenstall, has been travelling to the hospital to cut his hair - everybody wonders what's going on when he walks in because he's like a celebrity strolling through the hospital.

"And all his friends have been absolutely brilliant. We thought it was going to be too far for them to travel to the hospital, but they have all been there for him every week."

Fundraising events have been taking place throughout the area to raise thousands of pounds to help Johnny's rehabilitation.

Future events include a sportsman's dinner and a sold-out night organised by Burnley nightclub owner Mick Cookson.