THIS tiny fox may be only four weeks old and eight inches long but no one can doubt he is a fighter . . .

In his short life he has battled against the odds to stay alive.

But as he is named after one of Bolton's sporting heroes perhaps it is hardly surprising that he is a born survivor.

The little cub -- who is so small he can fit in the palm of a hand -- has been named Jay-Jay after the football star Jay-Jay Okocha who appears to be single-handedly dragging Bolton Wanderers out of the relegation mire.

Fox cub Jay-Jay is an orphan. His mother is thought to have been killed and his brother and sisters have either died due to cold or after being savaged by dogs.

But Jay-Jay is fighting back to full fitness being cared for at the Wildlife Hospital in Vale Avenue, Horwich.

He was taken to the hospital in a box on Saturday by a woman who found him in the back garden of a house in Manchester.

Jay-Jay and his brothers and sisters are believed to have crawled out of their 'den' -- under a garden shed -- after their mother was killed.

The four cubs were spotted but the homeowners left them alone believing their parents would return.

But over the next two days one died of cold and two others were killed.

Jay-Jay was given his name in tribute to the soccer star as he arrived in a box at the wildlife hospital at the exact moment Okocha scored the wonder goal which beat West Ham United at the Reebok.

Tom Morris, of the wildlife hospital, said: "We are Bolton fans and couldn't name him anything else after Jay-Jay scored his wonder goal.

"He also shows many of Jay-Jay Okocha's characteristics.

"He may only be small but he is a fighter."

Jay-Jay the cub will remain at the hospital until September. He will then be transferred to a home in Cheshire before being released back into the wild later in the year.

The Horwich centre is the only animal hospital in the North-west which caters for all wildlife. It was set up 15 years ago and receives 10,000 calls a year.