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Joe Gallagher admits that fighter Anthony Crolla is lucky to be alive

Regaining full fitness is the main concern for Million Dollar

Joe Gallagher and Anthony Crolla
Image: Joe Gallagher: Believes Anthony Crolla could've been killed

Joe Gallagher admits that Anthony Crolla is lucky to be alive.

First and foremost we've got to make sure Anthony gets a full recovery and he gets backed to 100 per cent health. He's such a lucky boy
Joe Gallagher

The Manchester lightweight is in hospital with a fractured skull and broken ankle after chasing two men who had broken into a neighbour’s house.

Gallagher has visited Crolla in hospital and while he admits the world title shot in January has gone, he made it clear that the horrific incident could have been a lot worse.

"He's OK," he told Ringside.

"He's shocked, stunned, distressed and upset and in the circumstances that have come about, he is very lucky to be alive.

"He's had an operation on his broken foot, that was broken in two places. Obviously he's had stitches where he had a cut from his hairline to his eyebrow and obviously he's got a fractured skull.

"First and foremost we've got to make sure Anthony gets a full recovery and he gets back to 100 per cent health. He's such a lucky boy."

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Persevere

Gallagher also revealed he had given Crolla Tuesday afternoon off as he thought he was ahead of schedule for the Richar Abril fight on January 23.

The 28-year-old then returned home to hear a neightbour's alarm going off. He rang them to see if they were in and when he found out they were out, went to check the back of their house.

It was then that two burglars ran away. Crolla chased them over several garden fences before cornering them. He was then hit with the slab and broke his ankle falling to the floor.

Gallagher and Crolla shared a joke that night about how he got up and "tried to get them again" but while there is no decision on whether he will box again, the serious nature of Crolla's circumstances have dawned on the trainer as well.

"I said at the weekend how Andy Lee and Amir Khan were great role models who have had the setbacks and still perservered," he said.

"The two lads got great success at the weekend and Anthony Crolla is one of those types of fighter.

"He kept perservering and he's come back and had this massive night at the Manchester Arena, where he watched his idols [Mike] Tyson and Ricky Hatton and he was about to be there himself, headlining and fighting for a world title - but that's done now.

"It's hard to talk about boxing when the kid's in the situaton he's in now and I think it's dawned on him and that is upsetting him so much."

For the full interview with Gallagher click on the video at the top of the page.

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