Stiliyan Petrov claims to be feeling 'fine' as his recovery from acute leukaemia continues to progress 'in the right direction'.

Villa skipper speaks for the first time since entering remission

Grateful

Stiliyan Petrov claims to be feeling 'fine' as his recovery from acute leukaemia continues to progress 'in the right direction'. Speaking for the first time since it was confirmed that he is in remission, the Aston Villa club captain has taken the opportunity to thank everyone for their overwhelming messages of support. He has also paid tribute to Villa masseurs Alex Butler and Andy Smith and former England midfielder Geoff Thomas after seeing them complete a fund-raising bike ride in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. Petrov was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in March, with the news sending shockwaves through football circles and the wider sporting world.He is now on the road to recovery and is keen to express his gratitude to those who have helped him down a 'hard and tough' road. The Bulgaria international said: "I'm fine but it's been hard and tough so far but, thankfully, everything is going in the right direction. "I've been looked after really well by the people in the hospital and so far everything is going in the right direction. "I'm really grateful to them and I'm grateful to all of the people who have sent messages of support to me. I appreciate all of this very much."