SOCCER: Chris Byrne's parents have spoken of their horror at how their footballer son was shot in the leg by masked gunmen.

The Macclesfield Town midfielder was beaten up and then shot in the right thigh near his mother's house in Hulme by the gang of men.

They made off with his car keys but failed to steal his car in the incident on November 7.

He was rushed straight to hospital by family members who feared for his life because he was losing so much blood.

He has since undergone a second operation on his thigh and his father Patrick Byrne said he had been given a total of over 12 pints of blood to replace what he had lost.

His mother, Pat Byrne, was at home when the attack happened in an alleyway near her house on St George's Avenue, Hulme.

She said: "I didn't hear a thing until somebody came and told me. He couldn't even move he was losing that much blood and he had black eyes."

Dad Patrick said: "He's sick as a parrot. I find it hard to see him like that lying in hospital

"He just came home for a cup of tea and a change of kit, like he's done a million times before."

Patrick added that the incident came just weeks after his son had come home to say he had pulled a girl out of a car after it overturned in front of him.

Patrick Byrne said: "He saved a young girl's life. He told me he was driving near the Trafford Centre and a car shot past him and turned over about eight times before landing in a ditch.

"There were some lads outside the car and one of them said his girlfriend was trapped inside.

"Chris went in and turned the ignition and interior light off because there was petrol all over the seat.

"He said he could see the girl was trapped by the headrest because he's had one of those BMWs himself.

"He had to get out because of the petrol fumes but he went back four times and finally managed to get her out because he thought the car was going to blow."

Patrick said that the operation earlier this week had been to clean the wound but they had to do it under general anaesthetic.

Mum Pat said: "He's worked all his life from leaving school and that car is his pride and joy. What gives anybody the right to take something you've worked for?

"You get these thugs who think they can take what they like off people, but that's why he put up a fight because he didn't want to let them have his keys.

"They jumped all over him. He doesn't know who they are because they had masks on - but you don't think somebody's going to shoot you do you?"

Macc Town chairman Colin Garlick praised the part of Byrne's father.

"I went to see him on Monday and he looked to be in good spirits," the chairman said.

"From what he was telling us the quick response of his dad and his uncle after he had been shot prevented things from being a lot worse.

"With it being a gunshot wound an ambulance can't attend until they've got back-up from an armed unit and that could have caused delay."

Team mate Danny Adams also visited Chris on Sunday.