The girlfriend of a former footballer killed when he smashed a stolen car into a lamppost today said he paid the ultimate price for his mistakes.

Emma McNamara said Gary Murgatroyd had recently been released from prison for burglary and had admitted stealing cars.

"I can't believe what he has done," a tearful Emma said.

She said 24-year-old Gary, of Bradford Moor, was due to start a new job as a bricklayer.

And she said he was hoping to re-ignite his career as a professional footballer after spells in Blackpool and Hull came to an end due to a knee injury.

Gary died after a stolen BMW M3 Coupe he was driving slammed into the side of a lamppost at the junction of Woodside Road and High Fernley Road, Wyke, late on Friday night.

He died on the operating table at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Today Emma claimed Gary had been determined to turn over a new leaf following the birth of their first child Olivia 18 days ago.

He was also due to start a new job as a bricklayer and was hoping to relaunch his career as a professional footballer.

Emma, 23, pictured with Olivia, said: "I know people will think that Gary was just a thief but he was a really caring person who would have made a wonderful dad.

"There had been a real change in him since I became pregnant. He had really cleaned up his act.

"He prayed that God would give him a daughter and he was really trying to make a go of things after that."

On the night of Gary's death the couple had been for a meal at Brewsters Restaurant in Rooley Lane.

A friend drove them home to Gary's parents' house where they were staying. Then Gary, who had been drinking heavily, said he was popping out for an hour.

Emma said another friend called later to say Gary had been involved in an accident and things did not look good.

Emma rushed to the scene where firefighters had fought for 15 minutes to release him from the mangled wreckage of the high-performance car. She went to the hospital where he was already in surgery.

It was 3.30am when doctors finally told her he had died.

"I couldn't go in and see him when he was in there," she said. "I wasn't strong enough.

"Although I knew he had lost a leg, I was sure he was going to pull through."

Gary was a talented footballer who played for a number of local sides and was a keen Manchester United fan.

The couple met at Eccleshill High School and became childhood sweethearts.

But Emma said Gary later got involved with a bad crowd and started stealing cars. He recently served a 45-month sentence for burglary.

The couple were living in Leeds but looking to return home to their native Bradford.

"He really wanted us to settle down, get married, get a job and do normal things," Emma said.

"Gary had been a bad lad in his past but he knew he had done things that were unacceptable.

"He loved Olivia. He would just sit there all night long staring at her.

"Gary used to say that he couldn't wait until she could talk and call him dad."