A teenage girl, who was in coma since nine months in a hospital, woke up after hearing a recorded voice of Roma football legend Francesco Totti which was sent a few months ago. The footballer on Monday visited her in the hospital.

Llenia Matilli, a 19 year-old footballer with Lazio's women team was left in a coma last December after a car accident in which her friend was killed.

Former World Cup winner Totti had recorded the video message, urging: "Ilenia don't give up, you'll do it, we are all with you".

Totti on Monday hence visited her in Rome's Gemilli hospital where is undergoing rehabilitation.

Totti while talking to journalists after his meeting with Matilli said, "She smiled at me, hugged me and started crying,"

"It was very exciting to meet Ilenia, when she comes out of hospital we will meet again," he added.

Her father Stefano Matilli was quoted saying, "I have to thank a friend of my daughter who had the idea of contacting Francesco Totti and having him record a message. Francesco accepted immediately, you can see that he is a person with a good heart, talking to him today in the hospital was like talking to a brother."

Matilli however can still not talk but understands gestures and expressions. She communicates back through a tablet on which she writes.

Totti, a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy, spent 25 years at Roma as a player before moving upstairs to the boardroom.