Ex-Leeds United defender Clarke Carlisle ‘awake’ after lorry crash

Clarke Carlisle is awake in hospital after being seriously injured in a collision with a lorry.

His wife, Gemma Carlisle, said on Twitter last night: “Thank you again for asking after Clarke. He’s still in hospital but is getting better & stronger each day.”

She was asked by another Twitter-user: “Is he awake yet Gemma? Hope he’s well soon from a football fan.”

Mrs Carlisle replied: “Yes.”

The 35-year-old former Professional Footballers’ Association chairman was seriously injured following the collision on the A64, near York, on December 22 and remains in a Leeds hospital.

North Yorkshire Police launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and appealed for witnesses.

Since the collision, a host of footballers, former clubs, organisations and charities have used social media to send messages hoping Carlisle makes a quick recovery.

The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that Carlisle was charged with failing to provide a sample on December 20 - days before his serious injuries - and is due to appear in court later this month.

Carlisle played in defence for a number of other clubs including Blackpool, QPR and Burnley.

After Carlisle stopped playing, he worked for the PFA and was also a regular on TV, as a contestant on the long-running Channel 4 quiz show Countdown and a guest on BBC’s Question Time.