British footballer left in an induced coma in Australia after unprovoked attack by boy, 15

A British expat is in an induced coma in Australia after an unprovoked attack at a train station in Perth on Saturday night (4 September).

Danny Hodgson, 25, was on his way home from an end of season soccer game when he was knocked to the ground from behind.

Danny, originally from Cumbria, was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital with severe head injuries, where he underwent emergency surgery for bleeding to the brain and a brain fracture.

He has since suffered severe brain haemorrhaging, which required more surgery, and remains in an induced coma.

According to The Australian, a 15-year-old boy has now been charged with grievous bodily harm by Perth detectives.

Danny moved to Australia at age 18 to progress his football career and currently plays for ECU Joondalup in Western Australia’s National Premier League, where he won a premiership and the Golden Boot award as the leading goal scorer last season.

On Wednesday morning (8 September), the club said: “We are extremely saddened to report that our senior player Danny Hodgson is hospitalised with a bleed on the brain and a skull fracture after being attacked in the city on Saturday night.”

‘We are desperate to be with Danny by his bedside that’s why we are reaching out’

Danny’s parents are in the UK but are desperate to be by their son’s bedside.

However, they are struggling to find a flight to Perth because of Australia’s closed international borders due to Covid-19.

Danny’s mum, Nicola, has issued a public plea on Facebook in the hopes of finding a way to get to Perth.

She wrote: “The main sticking point now is trying to find an airline that can fly us to Perth, we have been in touch with all the airlines and have hit a brick wall and it’s looking like we are going to struggle to get a flight anytime soon.

“We have tried every airline possible to see if there are any available flights from anywhere in the UK to Perth but have hit a dead end but keep phoning and trying to see if there’s anything available daily.

"We are desperate to be with Danny by his bedside that’s why we are reaching out.”

She has been told her son could remain in an induced coma for weeks or even months.

A GoFundMe page raising funds for Danny’s recovery has also been set up, with more than 50,000 dollars raised towards an 80,000 goal.