Scott Sinclair hails his 'little soldier' as Helen Flanagan's son Charlie, five, is pictured in hospital wearing an oxygen mask

Scott Sinclair posted a photo to Instagram on Wednesday showing his five-year-old son Charlie in a hospital bed, giving a thumbs up while wearing an oxygen mask. The footballer's caption read "My little soldier" alongside a red heart emoji, though he offered no explanation for the admission. Helen Flanagan, 36, best known for playing Rosie Webster in Coronation Street, has made no public comment about the incident.

Flanagan and Sinclair split in October 2022 after a 13-year relationship and four-year engagement; they also share daughters Matilda, 11, and Delilah, eight.

The pair are said to have a strained co-parenting relationship, with Helen recently forced to move out of the family home Scott had decided to sell.

In the days before Charlie's hospitalisation, Helen had been on a girls' trip to Manchester, posting photos throughout the weekend.