The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan is out of hospital in time for his birthday

Shane MacGowan has been discharged from hospital ahead of his upcoming birthday on Christmas Day, his wife has revealed.

The 65-year-old Pogues frontman has been receiving care in St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin for an infection.

In an update posted on Wednesday night, his wife Victoria Mary Clarke tweeted an image of MacGowan in a hospital bed wearing a scarf and bobble hat.

Alongside the post she wrote: "Shane got out of the hospital! We are deeply and eternally grateful to all of the doctors and nurses and staff at St Vincent's it's the best!

"And special thanks to Tom Creagh and Brian Corscadden for your help."

MacGowan revealed he was diagnosed with encephalitis last year in a video posted to social media on New Year's Eve.

It is is an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes inflamed, according to the NHS website.

MacGowan was born on Christmas Day 1957 in Pembury, Kent, to his mother Therese, who was a Feis Ceoil singer, and father Maurice.

From the 1980s, he lead the Irish punk band The Pogues who are best known for their hit festive song Fairytale Of New York which was released in 1987.

In 2018, The Pogues frontman and journalist Clarke tied the knot in a small ceremony in Copenhagen in Denmark in front of guests including Johnny Depp.

MacGowan has used a wheelchair since 2015 after injuring himself in a fall.

Meanwhile, bookmakers have slashed odds on The Pogues' 1988 festive favourite Fairytale of New York becoming this year's Christmas Number One following MacGowan's ailing health.

It faces stiff competition however from LadBaby's cover of Do They Know It’s Christmas with five Christmas Number Ones already under his belt.

A spokesperson for Oddschecker told The Standard: “The latest odds suggest it is a two-horse race between LadBaby and The Pogues to win this year’s Christmas Number One.

Having been as large as 20/1 last week, ‘Fairytale of New York’ is now the odds-on favourite to win the Pogues their first Christmas Number One. The Pogues have completely dominated the betting market this week, taking 89% of all bets placed through Oddschecker.”