A Liverpool fan who was woken from a coma by Kenny Dalglish after the Hillsborough disaster has finally met his hero again, 36 years on. The supporter, who asked to remain anonymous, was left with a severe brain injury after the 1989 tragedy, in which 97 Liverpool fans died.
Dalglish, then Liverpool manager, visited the 15-year-old in hospital two days after the disaster. The player recalled telling the boy: 'Hi there, wee man. Come on, you'll be all right. We love your support.' As he walked away, the boy suddenly sat up, leading Dalglish to describe it as 'unbelievable'.
The survivor said he had no memory of the encounter due to his coma, but learned of it later. He suffered an anoxic brain injury, PTSD, survivor guilt, and depression in the years that followed. He described feeling 'sustained by the compassion' of Dalglish, whom he idolised.
The reunion took place at a Liverpool premiere of Asif Kapadia's documentary 'Kenny Dalglish'. The fan was invited after appearing in the film. When they met, Dalglish hugged him and said: 'Don't fall asleep.' As he left, he grabbed the fan's hand and said: 'Great to fucking see you by the way.'
The fan described the meeting as 'catharsis and joy', adding that it made the intervening years 'melt away'. He said: 'After all those years, finally to be able to hug him, for me and for all of us, to thank him, to have him take the piss out of me, it was catharsis.'
