The ex-Manchester United and Aston Villa manager reportedly came close to losing a leg after falling ill after returning from a holiday in Barbados.

The 66-year-old who lives in Barnt Green, Worcestershire, told Real Radio Yorkshire that his leg had ballooned - possibly due to an insect bite.

He was admitted to Birmingham's Priory Hospital, where he remained on Tuesday.

'Monitoring situation'

Atkinson, who hosts a weekly sports phone-in for the Yorkshire station, said: "I felt a bit queasy two or three weeks ago and I assumed I had got a bit of a flu bug, like a virus.

"After about three or four days I noticed my ankle had become inflamed, so I tried to take my own antibiotics but I was possibly a day or two too late on that, so I went to see my doctor who quickly whipped me into the hospital in Birmingham.

"The doctor gave me intensive antibiotics for two or three days and it's now just a question of monitoring the situation."

The Liverpool-born former ITV pundit also used to manage West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday.