THE wife of former Blackburn Rovers star Colin Hendry is believed to have opened her eyes in hospital more than a month after being admitted with septicaemia.

Mum-of-four Denise Hendry is being cared for in the critical care unit at the Royal Preston Hospital after contracting the blood disease following an earlier liposuction operation at the Broughton Park Private Hospital, Preston.

Denise, 35, was admitted exactly five weeks ago today and although she has made marginal improvements, is said to be poorly but stable.

But a friend of the family said that Denise had opened her eyes for the first time.

The friend said: "It has given us a thread of hope to cling to. But no one can be sure what long lasting effects this illness may have caused. We cannot read too much into this."

Former Scotland captain Colin, who now plays for Bolton Wanderers, has been making daily visits to the hospital from the couple's £1m Lytham St Annes home.

By her bedside are said to be pictures of the couple's children, including one of their 10-year-old son, Kyle, celebrating in his soccer team's cup final wearing a T-shirt with the poignant message "Love U Mum."