The family of Sean Cox have thanked Liverpool for rolling out the 'red carpet' for him after he attended last night’s Champions League win over Villarreal.
It's now been four years since Reds fan Mr Cox was set upon outside his beloved Anfield by an Italian thug. The dad-of-three had travelled over from his home in Ireland for the Reds' Champions League semi-final against AS Roma back in May 2018.
However, Mr Cox was subjected to a brutal, unprovoked attack on Walton Breck Road outside the Kop shortly before the match. It left Mr Cox, from Dunboyne, Co Meath, in a coma with brain injuries which left him having to learn how to speak and move again.
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After months of gruelling rehabilitationm first at Liverpool's Walton Centre and then in specialist centres in Ireland, Mr Cox returned home in March 2020. The Reds have supported the Cox family since the day of the attack, and the Liverpool supporter was present at Anfield on Wednesday night.
As well as meeting Liverpool greats Sir Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush, Mr Cox also met Reds boss Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk following their side’s 2-0 victory. And it appears the Dutchman gave Mr Cox his shirt following the game.
“Sean was delighted to be back at Anfield for the first time in over two years to watch his beloved Liverpool FC’s 2-0 win against Villarreal,” a post on the Support Sean Cox Facebook page read.
“The “red” carpet was rolled out for Sean and Martina by many of his LFC heroes, with Jürgen Klopp, Kenny Dalglish and Virgil van Dijk all dropping by to welcome Sean back to his happy place.”
While Rush wrote on Twitter: “Solid win @LFC and delighted to see Sean and Martina Cox at Anfield #YNWA #LIVVCF.”
Speaking back in October 2020, Reds boss Klopp has promised that Liverpool will continue to do all they can to help Mr Cox and his family.
“We [at Liverpool] all feel responsible for what will happen from now on, and that we all try to help as much as we can,” the German said when joining the Cox family for an interview with Ireland’s Today FM.
“And by the way, for you Sean and Martina, that’s still like this – I hope you know that. Whatever you need, and when no authority in this country or your country can help, I think we can always find a way where we can make things maybe easier.
“We still feel this, it’s like friendship, it’s like family, it’s like we really have to do these things because we want to do these things.
“That’s the moment when the club has to show real unity, because it’s not about who’s responsible for it, it’s about who helps after what happened.
“I’m really happy, but it’s much more important that hopefully Martina, Sean and the family is happy about how the club dealt with it. But very important is that will not stop, as long as this club exists these things have to happen exactly like that.”
