Award winning photographer Marc Aspland is to return to work this week - six months after suffering a brain haemorrhage in a road accident near his Harpenden home. 

The Times’ chief sports photographer, who learned his trade at the Watford Observer, said he was overwhelmed by the support he received after he was found unconscious by the roadside in April.

Some of the biggest names in sport - including Rafael Nadal and Jessica Ennis-Hill - took to Twitter to wish him a speedy recovery.

The 50-year-old said: "It was completely overwhelming.

"It was started by one of my colleagues - I know Rafa a little bit and Jessica really well, but this snowball became an avalanche.

"My children got more excited about it then I did, I just found it overwhelming. It took me a while to get used to seeing them all."

Mr Aspland is due to go back to work at The Times this week as he steps up his rehabilitation.

He said: "I am lucky in the sense that I have no memory of the accident or four weeks after, so I remember nothing of hospital.

"But my doctor tells me we’ll know what sort of percentage recovery I have made after two years. It has had a huge effect on everything.

"James Cracknell had something similar and he told me ‘Marc, you are on chapter one of your recovery. I’m on chapter nine - I am here to help you though those early chapters’."

The three-time Sports Photographer of the Year has recently released a book - entitled Art of Photography - showcasing some of the iconic sporting moments he has captured on camera.

He said: "Every photo in that book has a story behind it.

"The 2003 Rugby World Cup Final is an iconic picture, and Jonny Wilkinson and Clive Woodward actually have it up in their homes.

"There’s a close up of Ricky Hatton on the canvas after he was beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jnr in Las Vegas.

"It was strange because I had got to know him, so on one hand I was leaning through the ropes to do my job, but on the other I was shouting ‘wake up!’

"But I would have to say the photos of children playing football in Africa is one of my favourites."

Mr Aspland was awarded an honorary fellowship by the Royal Photographic Society in September - the industry’s top honour. 

The father-of-three credits his time at the Observer for giving him the tools to develop into the photographer he has become.

He said: "My first picture editor, Mike Dellow at the Observer, was the first person to teach me the ethics and ethos of photography.

"He taught me not to slow down, whether I was doing a cheque presentation or a wedding anniversary. It might have been my tenth anniversary of the week but it is important moment to that family."