Former Hibs striker left seriously ill after knife attack in flat

A FORMER Hibs player is seriously ill after being stabbed four times, it was reported today.

• Keith Murray required surgery after the attack in Craigmillar

Teenager Keith Murray's girlfriend Christina Wright is also thought to have been injured after jumping in fear from a flat window.

A source reportedly said the attack came after Mr Murray, 18, had gone for talks aimed at ending a feud with another man at a flat in Craigmillar.

"He was invited to bury the hatchet and have a drink and he went along with his girlfriend," the source said.

"But he was attacked when he got there.

"His girlfriend was also threatened and she jumped out of the window.

"The people who attacked Keith actually came out and assaulted her as she lay on the street."

The former Hibs striker and Miss Wright, 16, are understood to have taken refuge in a nearby shop while manager Tony Zahid, 25, called 999.

Mr Zahid reportedly said: "He came running in asking for help. He left a trail of blood on the floor. His girlfriend came in behind him and collapsed on the floor.

"The boy was shivering violently but he kept telling his girlfriend he loved her."

Mr Murray's father, also called Keith, said he believed his son was going to be fine. Yesterday, he reportedly said: "Keith is getting operated on today but it looks as if he is going to be OK."

The condition of dance student Miss Wright is unknown and her family are said to have asked staff at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary not to reveal details of her injuries.

The couple had surgery after the incident on Friday and Mr Murray, a former Portobello High pupil, was later transferred to St John's Hospital in Livingston.

He mainly played for Hibs under-19s but had been released and was trying to find a new club over the summer.

It was also reported that the attack on the striker came just a fortnight after a group of thugs with makeshift flame-throwers laid siege to his family home in Portobello.

A source reportedly said: "Windows were smashed and threats were made. The yobs demanded he settle an alleged debt of a few hundred pounds. They were lighting aerosol cans to create flame-throwers and demanding he came out the house."

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing."