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Football legend Jimmy Greaves today reveals he is feeling “lucky to be alive” after ­suffering a devastating stroke.

In his first interview since collapsing at home, the 75-year-old fought back tears as he told us he had been offered a second chance at life.

He gave the Sunday People an ­emphatic thumbs-up and declared he was ­determined to get back to his best.

He said: “I should be dead. But I’m here and I’m fighting fit. Now I want to live until I’m at least 90.

“Hopefully there’s a few years left in me yet.

"I’ve promised my ­grandkids I’ll go and watch them play rugby and hockey when they go back to school so I’ve got to get better.”

Jimmy was sitting in a black ­wheelchair in hospital when he spoke frankly about his near-death ordeal.

The ex-England international, with his caring sons Andy and Danny by his side, is still clearly struggling to cope with his life-changing stroke eight weeks ago.

(Image: Matt Sprake)

It robbed him of all feeling in his famous feet and made speech too ­difficult. He feared he would never talk or walk again but has now ­regained his feeling in his limbs and his ability to converse.

For weeks he had to use a notepad to communicate with doctors and his beloved wife Irene, 75.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur star is still unable to stand or use his right arm and relies on relatives to help him communicate.

But while the stroke may have taken his once free-flowing speech, it has left his razor-sharp mind and famous wit undimmed.

During our chat he joked how it was only after falling ill that Irene realised quite how much he did around the house. And he admitted he has been asking his family to sneak in McDonald’s for him.

Even after just a few minutes with Jimmy, who is in a rehab centre, it’s clear he is determined not to let the stroke beat him.

He said: “I’d like to be a bit better but I’m taking ­every day as it comes and I’m feeling good. I’m much better than I was. I’m ­getting my speech back and I can move my right leg now.

“I haven’t got any feeling in my right arm but my left arm and hand are absolutely fine so I can still sign my autograph perfectly.

“I’m a long way from ­being back to my best and I don’t know ­whether I can ever get back to it, but I’m determined to do everything I can. I’m a fighter.

"Every day is a new day. The doctors reckon after a year if something isn’t working it’ll never work.

“I’ve got another nine months until then and I’ve come on a lot already so hopefully it’ll come.”

(Image: Matt Sprake)

Jimmy still vividly remembers the ­moment on May 3 when the stroke hit.

He said: “When I had the stroke I was dying really.

“It was about 8.30am and I was sitting having a cup of tea with Irene in our living room. I knew something was wrong because I started to have chest pains and I was ­feeling unwell.

“Then I went down and I crashed out. That’s the last thing I remember until I woke up in hospital, but I know Irene rang 999 and I was taken to A&E and put into ­intensive care. I woke up in hospital and just thought, ‘I’m still alive.’

“I knew what had happened to me ­immediately. Blimey did I know.

“It was touch and go whether I would survive for the first week but they saved my life. I was in intensive care for six days and I wasn’t conscious.”

But over time Jimmy began to rally. At first he was unable to talk or write at all. However in the past few weeks he has been taking steps towards his recovery.

He said: “I suppose the start of it was probably the worst really.

“I know now I wasn’t up to it but in the first couple of days I was trying to get to my phone to do my column for the paper.

"It was very frustrating at first because I was all there mentally and knew what was going on straight away but I couldn’t communicate.

“I was having to write everything down on a notepad for people to read.

“I started to drink again after about a week – just water and cups of tea.

“I haven’t had any alcohol for 37 years but my sons have said I might need a beer after all this. I think they will too.”

He said: “I was on the front of the Sunday People in the 70s speaking about my ­alcoholism. I think doing that saved my life.”

(Image: Matt Sprake)

Doctors at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex, started to see an ­improvement in Jimmy.

He joked: “They said that they knew I was feeling a lot better when I told them that I wanted a burger and chips a couple of weeks ago.

“I asked for a quarter pounder from McDonald’s but the doctors said it had too much bread so my sons got me an ­ordinary cheeseburger and chips ­instead.”

Jimmy said: “I get up at 6am for breakfast and then I start the day. All of my family have been to see me and I’ve spoken to my nephew who lives in Australia on Skype.

“He wanted to come back but I told him not to.

“I’ve been watching the cricket and the horse racing with my sons but we haven’t had any winners at all.

“I’m having five hours of therapy a day. I have physio, then speech therapy and then I have electro therapy where they put electrodes into my arms. Looking back two months from where I was I’m much better now.

“It’s not perfect yet but my speech has come on in leaps and bounds.

“I couldn’t get a word out until four weeks ago but I can now. It’s a massive step forward.

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“The doctors say the left side of my brain hasn’t been affected at all.

“There’s a lot of hard work ahead, but I’ll do everything I can to get back to where I was.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to go home in a couple of weeks.

“I’m ready to be out. I want to get home to Irene and my dog Lester. I know my recovery will progress even faster then.

“There’s a meeting at the hospital next week to decide when I can go home.

“Irene has joked that she never ­realised how much I did around the house till now. She thought I didn’t do anything.

“I want to thank all the doctors and nurses at the Broomfield Hospital. They’ve been great since day one.

“I’ve been touched by all of the ­messages of support.

“I’ve had more than 150,000. It’s ­unbelievable. I just want to thank everybody.”

(Image: Action)

Former team-mates and ex-TV­ ­colleagues as well as fans have sent their best wishes to the much-loved star.

There have been messages from rock star and Spurs fan Phil Collins, 64, TV host pal Ian St John and Jimmy’s 1966 World Cup winning squad mates Sir Geoff Hurst, 73, Roger Hunt, 76, Gordon Banks, 77, and George Cohen, 75.

Later generation England heroes Gary Lineker and Peter Shilton have also sent him messages of support.

Liverpool legend Ian St John, 77, who has phoned every week, said: “Me and Jimmy had a great time when we did our tour a few years ago.

“Jimmy was one of the funniest men I’ve ever seen on the stage. I’m so pleased he’s getting better.”

After retiring from football, Jimmy went on to present Saturday lunchtime football programme Saint and Greavsie from 1985 to 1992 with Ian.

Sir Geoff, who scored a hat-trick in England’s 4-2 World Cup final win over Germany in 1966, said: “Me and Jimmy have been friends for 40 years. We’ve always been the best of friends and I’m rooting for him.

“Jimmy was the greatest goal scorer of mine and any lifetime and I’m ­desperately hoping he’ll be well. If ­anyone can recover from this it’s him.”

Phil Collins, who has sent two ­bouquets of flowers to Jimmy’s wife Irene, said: “Jimmy was my boyhood hero. I think about him regularly and I have a picture of him on my wall.

“I’m so happy he’s improving.”

Jimmy also suffered a minor stroke in 2012 but had appeared to have made a full recovery.

The Sunday People columnist is one of the most successful and gifted ­footballers to have played the game.

He scored 44 goals in 57 games for England, including six hat-tricks.

Only Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker and Wayne Rooney have scored more for the national side.

He was equally prolific at club level, netting 366 goals in 528 appearances from his Chelsea debut in 1957 to his final game for West Ham in 1971.

His 220 league goals for Spurs between 1961 and 1970 make him the club’s ­highest ever scorer.

At Spurs he was part of the first English team ever to win a European trophy – the 1963 Cup Winners’ Cup.

He briefly moved to AC Milan in 1961, scoring nine goals and helping them to win the Italian Serie A league title.

He was due to be inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame on May 13 – ten days after suffering his stroke.

Jimmy is now looking forward to ­returning home to his Irene, who he married aged 18, 57 years ago, before going on to have five children, including Jimmy junior, who died of pneumonia aged only four months.

Below: When Jimmy drove from Wembley to Mexico for Mirror's amazing World Cup Rally

Today Stroke Association chief executive Jon Barrick said: “We were deeply saddened to hear of Jimmy Greaves’s stroke, and wish him well in his recovery.

"It’s an incredibly cruel condition that strikes in an instant with ­consequences that can last a lifetime.

“We are here for everyone whose life has been changed by stroke. Each step towards recovery is a victory.”

There are 152,000 strokes a year in the UK, making it the fourth single largest cause of death.

But there are about 1.2 million survivors.

To donate £5 to the Stroke Association, text STROKE 5 to 70300.