STAR Blackburn Rovers players rallied round to give a belated birthday present to the brother of tragic toddler Kirsty Wright.

Two-year-old Kirsty drowned in a hotel swimming pool while on holiday on the Greek island of Kos with her family in October. She was just two days away from returning home with her brothers Matthew and William.

Desperate efforts by parents Lee and Linda, of Pilmuir Road, Blackburn, to help little Kirsty failed, and she was pronounced dead an hour later.

Devoted brother William turned 13 just days later, but there was no room for celebrations so close to the tragic accident.

So the Lancashire Evening Telegraph teamed up with insurance firm CIS, who sponsor a stand at Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park stadium, to give William the birthday he never had.

The Evening Telegraph helped devoted Rovers fan William to meet his favourite players and to watch them practise at their state-of-the-art Brockhall training ground, near Blackburn.

Dad Lee, 30, a lifelong Rovers fan said: "Usually he wants to stay in bed all morning, just like any kid, but today he came running into the room shouting, Mum, Dad, come on, get up!"

Wearing a special Blackburn Rovers baseball cap given to him at the training ground, William was joined by nine-year-old brother Matthew, and cousins Jamie, 11, and Shane, 13.

The star-struck family watched, jaws dropping, as they were joined by Matt Jansen -- William's favourite player -- Egil Ostenstad, Keith Gillespie, and Stig Inge Bjornebye. Then the football-mad family were presented with six free tickets to Blackburn Rovers' match against Middlesbrough today.

William said: "I love football. Matt Jansen's my favourite player, then Tugay. I think Blackburn will win today, two-nil!" Mum Linda, 32, said: "This was a sad birthday to begin with, but this has helped. I'm not a football fan myself, but I support Rovers for my husband and kids. Lee took me to see a match once, and never again!"

After meeting manager Graeme Souness in the player's lounge, Lee said: "I can still remember going to my first Rovers match when I was eight years old. It was Blackburn against Millwall, I think, and it was absolutely freezing!

"Every ten minutes William was asking me if I had got the tickets for Saturday's game yet. I can guarantee they will be even bigger fans of the team after this."