IN his own words, Tony Kelly has been through some “dark days” since a heart attack two years ago turned his left upside down – but the former Wanderers midfielder is now back on his feet, and putting them to some good use in a charity walk he hopes will raise £5,000 for worthy causes.

The affable Scouser is well known to Whites fans, not only for his magic wand of a left foot that graced the Burnden Park pitch in the early 1990s but also for the work he has done since alongside David Lee in the Under-18s, as fan liaison officer and, in his current role, as club ambassador.

A genial character very much part of the Bolton fabric, Kelly has been through the mill since suffering health problems in 2012.

“It got to the stage where I was going to sleep and wondering whether I was even going to wake up,” he told The Bolton News. “I didn’t even want to close my eyes.

“It has been a hard time, and I still have my dark days, but thanks to the people around me there’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel and I felt I needed to give something back.

“My partner Simone has been a rock, I think she’s saved my life.

“She’s dragged me out of it, got me walking up and down Chorley New Road, and given me such a lot of support.

“Before all this happened I’d lost two stone, been out walking, and after speaking with (club chaplain) Phil Mason and the Community Trust, I thought a walk around some of the special places in my career would be the way to go.”

Kelly turned 50 earlier this month and on Friday he will make a 50-mile trip from his mum’s home at Huyton, touching base at his first club Liverpool, and his boyhood club Everton. The following day he will start out at Burnden Park and walk up to the Macron for the home game against Brentford.

Kelly is hoping some Wanderers fans will accompany him on the final leg and has already roped ex-teammate John McGinlay in for the last few miles.

Details of how and when to join in will be announced this week but Kelly has thanked fans for the support they have offered already as he regained his health.

“Bolton fans have always taken me in, there’s always someone who wants to talk about the White Hot days and Burnden Park and that’s what makes the club so special,” he said.

“I’m just a lad from Liverpool but they accepted me as one of their own and I thank them so much for that; they have kept me going.

“I’d love some of them to join me on that last stretch between Burnden Park and the Macron because we’ve seen some great nights there too.

“It’s the new manager’s first home game, so I know the fans will be out there supporting him.

“I’m hoping to get a few former players to join us – so whether we’re the Pied Piper or not, It’d be great to make it a special atmosphere.”

The charities that will benefit from the walk will be the Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, the Gary Parkinson Trust and the Hillsborough Family Support Group.

“The BWCT have been great, they do such a lot of good work in the town and Ben Lawton from the trust has been marching around Horwich with me to get me ready,” he added.

“When I was sat feeling sorry for myself I looked at my old pal Gary Parkinson and what him and his wonderful family have been through (Parkinson suffers from locked-in syndrome) and it made me get off my backside. I wanted to do something for them.

“And being a Liverpool lad I had friends who were involved at Hillsborough. Steven Gerrard’s cousin, John-Paul Gilhooley, used to kick a ball around at the end of our street before that horrible day.

“I’ve had a lot of help from Liverpool, Everton and Bolton Wanderers, and I want to reach my target of £5,000 if I can.

“I need some help – but the people in this town have always looked after me.”

You can make online donations to Tony Kelly’s walk, which will take place on October 24-25, here www.justgiving.com/TonyKellyBWFC/