SEÁN COX IS planning to attend a charity match in his honour at the Aviva Stadium on Friday, the first time he has been outside a medical setting in almost a year.

The 53-year-old Meath father-of-three sustained life-changing injuries when he was attacked outside Liverpool’s home ground Anfield before a Champions League football match last year.

The brain injuries he suffered as a result of the attack has meant he will need ongoing care for years to come and almost €2 million has been raised to help his family.

As part of fundraising efforts, a charity match between a Republic of Ireland XI and Liverpool Legends in aid of the Sean Cox Rehabilitation Trust will be held at the Aviva Stadium this coming Friday, 12 April.

Robbie Keane is to captain the Irish team and the Irish squad is to be managed by Mick McCarthy.

Cox is a lifelong Liverpool fan and his club is to be represented by club legends including Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Ian Rush.

Speaking this morning on Newstalk Breakfast, Cox’s friend Stephen Felle revealed that it is planned that Seán will attend the match on Friday.

“We’re delighted to say that Seán is going to be there in person.”

It’s going to be Seán Cox’s first move outside a medical environment in almost 12 months, so it’s very special for the family, and it’s very emotional for (his wife) Martina. I was speaking to her this morning and I said, ‘does Seán know he’s going?’, and she said he does. She keeps reminding him and he keeps smiling and he can’t wait. So he’s going to be in the Aviva on Friday.

Felle added that his friend’s health remains the priority and that this would be the most important fact to consider should he not be well enough to attend.

“It has taken a lot of planning. He is obviously medically dependent, and in terms of the logistics of getting him to there and making sure he’s properly cared for when in the stadium, has taken some work.,” Felle said.

The caveat is if Séan got an infection or a cold or something happens between now and Friday, we might have to change the plan. But as we sit here now, that’s the plan.

Felle also said that Cox faces a long and expensive road in his ongoing treatment and that the public have been exceptional in how they’ve helped him and his family.

He leaves the national rehabilitation centre at the end of June, at which the plan is for him to go to the UK to continue that very intensive, high-quality type rehab. The cost of that because it will be in private care, the travel, the logistics of it with the family having to be there with him and that will continue for many years.

“That augmented by their home needing to be redone and needing private nursing home care here in between going back and forward to England, we’re running into lots and lots of millions of euro. But the public have, like you alluded to, taken Sean into their arms.”

Tickets for charity match can be purchased through Ticketmaster and donations can made to Seán and his family on the Go Fund Me page Support Sean Cox.