A homeless soccer fan dubbed the “Lion of London Bridge” is being been hailed for his heroics for fighting off three jihadists – one of whom wore a rival team’s jersey.
Roy Larner invoked his team’s name as he wrestled the three knife-wielding men — one wearing an Arsenal shirt — at the Black and Blue restaurant in Borough Market during the Saturday terror attack, The Sun reported.
“F–k off! I’m Millwall!” Larner, 47, roared at the rampaging terror trio.
Ignoring his own safety, Larner fought the terrorists, giving diners crucial seconds to flee out the back.
“Three blokes tried to kick their way into the bar because the door was shut. They entered the bar, all of a sudden they start pulling out knives, one’s trying to come to me with a knife, as I’m fighting him the other two have come to me then to help him,” he said, the Mirror reported.
“I said, ‘You’re f—g not getting in here — we are Millwall!’” he said from his hospital bed. “I stopped them getting in and attacking children and families in there.
“For me, stopping them hurting more people and them to be shot around me I feel quite proud of myself,” he said. “I didn’t think of my safety at the time. I’d had four or five pints — nothing major.
Larner didn’t even flinch when he saw that the attackers were wearing suicide vests, which later turned out to be fake.
“It wasn’t until I was in a police car that I realized I was in a bad way. I’d been sliced up all over,” he said. “Maybe I’m a bit brain-dead.”
“Whether I’d do it again, I don’t know. You just try and stop them coming in,” he said. “OK, I got a good hiding from it, but they’re not alive — I am still.”
The resident of Peckham in southeast London suffered eight wounds including a punctured lung, stabs to his arms and hands, and an eight-inch slash from his ear to the neck.
St. Thomas’ Hospital has been inundated by visitors – mostly fellow Millwall fans — wanting to see Larner, who has been on a housing waiting list.
Former partner Tracy Wicks, 54 — his 14-year-old daughter Freya’s mother — visited him at the hospital.
“He is homeless at the moment and sleeping at a friend’s house. He really does deserve help,” she told The Sun.
A petition to honor Larner with the George Cross medal for heroism has been launched and the Millwall Football Club has praised the fan for his “immense bravery.”
“Millwall stands together with all other football clubs and organizations in offering its absolute support to those in need following the tragic events of last Saturday night,” a club spokesman told the Independent.