THREE weeks after suffering a cardiac arrest while watching Saints, John Irving made an emotional return to Langtree Park.

Despite the men in the red vee slipping to defeat against Hull, John said he received a warm reception from those who were in the stands when he collapsed and stopped breathing in the second half of the game against Hull KR.

Others had read his remarkable story in the Star about the efforts from supporters, club stewards and medics who saved his life. Off-duty doctor Dr John Morris – a consultant cardiologist from Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital – was sat nearby when the drama unfolded and was among those that helped.

Survivor John, a 62-year-old former British Nuclear Fuel worker, told the Star: "People did recognise me. As I walked up the stairs they stopped me and said good to see you, you're looking well. I had a word with one of the stewards who did a lot on the day and he told me 'no more of that you did three weeks ago'.

"I told him I don't think that will happen again. They also took me round the pitch and I had some photos taken. The match day announcer welcomed me back to St Helens and the crowd clapped me. There were people that wanted to shake my hand. It was good."

John who is from Leyland in Lancashire has been watching Saints for around four years. He admitted: "At first I wasn't sure I would be able to go face it, but once I got there and people said it was good to see me I was alright. The results wasn't good but it wasn't the end of the world."

He was fitted with a pacemaker and was out of hospital in less than a week.

Now happily on the mend he said he added: "A lot of people say I'm looking well, but I'm not sure how I'm supposed to look. I imagine when someone has a heart attack they go grey and introverted. Once they brought me back I was the same John Irving I was three minutes earlier. I was in a bit of pain but nothing had changed.

"But I have nothing but praise for everyone who helped me."