EX-FOOTBALLER Jim Furnell (pictured) has returned home from hospital after a triple heart by-pass operation.

And Jim, a former youth development officer at Ewood Park, has already had visitors from the Blackburn Rovers family, including England coach Derek Fazackerly, kit manager Alan Whitehead and former scout Fred O'Donohue.

Jim, who played in goal at Liverpool and Arsenal, said he was feeling absolutely "smashing" since returning from the three-hour operation at Blackpool Victoria Hospital to his Woodcrest home, Wilpshire.

He has already managed to walk almost a quarter of a mile only ten days after the surgery and expects to be completing more than two miles a day by the time of his next check-up in six weeks.

If he gets the all-clear, Jim will be able to go back to his work inspecting the Premier League's youth academies. He said: "I have had a lot of phone calls but it gets a bit tiring if everyone comes round at once so I have had to ask some people to come later.

"It's frustrating not being able to do everything but I am just having to accept it and take things one step at a time. His wife Pam said: "It usually takes people longer to get walking again after this operation but he's determined to get fit. He's doing remarkably well.

"He's not difficult to look after because he's not bothered by pain -- but it's different when he gets a cold!"

Jim, 63, started out as an apprentice at Burnley FC and moved from Turf Moor to Liverpool under legendary manager Bill Shankley in 1962.

His career there as the first team goalkeeper was cut short by an injury and he moved to Arsenal then Rotherham and Plymouth before joining Blackburn Rovers on the coaching staff in 1981 with Bobby Saxton.

He served there for 16 years and was reserve team boss then joined the youth set-up and helped bring through top players including Jason Wilcox, David May and Simon Barker until he left two years ago.