Anthony Crolla: Boxer reveals Sir Alex Ferguson phoned him up as he recovers from a broken skull... but he thought it was a wind-up

Crolla is recovering after being attacked by burglars

Anthony Crolla (left) in action against John Murray back in April (PA)

Anthony Crolla has been boosted during his recovery by a call from former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The boxer, who was also sent a signed United shirt by Wayne Rooney, suffered a fractured skull and a broken ankle after being struck with a concrete block while attempting to tackle burglars who broke into his neighbours' home.

It forced the cancellation of his world title fight against Richar Abril next month but Ferguson's message was a huge lift for United fan Crolla - once he had worked out the call was genuine and not, as he first thought, "one of my mates pretending to be Scottish".

He told the Manchester Evening News: "He told me he'd seen the articles about me and said I'd done exactly the right thing and that there are some bad people out there.

The legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson (Getty)

"His call has given me a massive boost. He told me to enjoy Christmas and when I told him I was determined to come back he said that was exactly the right attitude."

Crolla is hopeful of making a full recovery after a scan showed no internal bleeding.

He continued: "At the end of the day, after what happened, I feel lucky.

"Alright, I've missed out on my dream fight but basically I'm fortunate to be alive. There are more important things than boxing."

Additional reporting by PA