Footballer Rob Hughes prepares for attack trial

A former Oxford United footballer is preparing to give evidence at the trial of six men accused of attacking him while he was on holiday in Greece.

The six are accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Rob Hughes, 31, of Croydon, London, in Crete in June 2008.

The defendants, who are all British and will stand trial in Greece on Tuesday, deny the charges.

Mr Hughes's mother, Maggie, said: "Robbie, as we knew before, died in Malia - we've now got a new son."

'Very difficult'

Mr Hughes has severe memory loss and did not remember his family following the assault.

"He's had to get to know us and that's very difficult," said Mrs Hughes.

"We are so used to him as he was, we can't get used to change and we slip up all the time.

"We hark back to the past and say: 'Do you remember this? do you remember that?' and realise no, he doesn't."

Having spent three months in a Greek hospital and undergoing three operations on his brain, Mr Hughes is now playing football again.

Mrs Hughes, who sat with her son day and night during his time in hospital, described his reaction to the first time he saw himself in the mirror following the attack.

"He never flickered an eyelash and we didn't understand that at the time," she said.

"He was looking at somebody that he'd never seen before, so it wasn't a shock."

Mr Hughes also played for Fulham youth team, Sutton United, Croydon Athletic, Bromley and has since played for Welling.