McNamara is rushed to hospital

CELTIC last night extended their ‘thoughts and prayers’ to Jackie McNamara after their former captain was rushed to hospital. McNamara collapsed outside his home in York on Saturday, with former team-mate John Hartson revealing that he had suffered ‘a bleed on the brain.’ The 46-year-old is understood to have been transferred from a hospital in York to another in Hull where he was yesterday due to undergo surgery. Friends, colleagues and supporters across Scottish football were last night hoping that McNamara

makes a full recovery, with a number taking to social media to offer their best wishes. Welsh striker Hartson played alongside McNamara during the last four years of the former Scotland international full-back’s decade-long stint at Parkhead. He tweeted: ‘Worried sick for my former team-mate and great friend Jackie McNamara, who collapsed at home Saturday with a bleed on the brain. ‘My thoughts are with his wife Samantha and the children.’ A number of his other former Parkhead teammates also sent messages of support last night. Chris Sutton said: ‘Thoughts and prayers for Jackie and Sam and the family.’ Stiliyan Petrov added: ‘Keep fighting Jackie Bhoy — you’ve always been a fighter. My thoughts and prayers are with you, Sam and the children.’ Murdo MacLeod was assistant manager at Celtic when McNamara helped the club win the 1998 league title, which stopped Old Firm rivals Rangers from completing ten-in-a-row. ‘All our thoughts and prayers (are) with Jackie McNamara and his family,’ said MacLeod. ‘He is a fighter.’ The Scottish champions wrote on Twitter: ‘The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic FC are with Jackie and his family.’ Other clubs who employed McNamara as a player or manager, including Aberdeen, Dundee United, Partick Thistle, Falkirk and Wolves, joined Celtic in sending supportive statements to his family yesterday. McNamara’s own Twitter account later issued a message from his daughter. It read: ‘This is Jackie’s daughter. Thank you all for your kind words and support. ‘My dad is getting the best care possible. As you all can understand this is difficult for us as a family and (we) request privacy at this time.’ A statement on the

Scotland national team Twitter account read: ‘The thoughts of everyone at the Scottish FA are with former Scotland player Jackie McNamara and his family.’ McNamara, whose father Jackie Senior also played for Celtic during the 1970s and later Hibernian, began his outstanding playing career with Dunfermline. He was signed for the Parkhead club by Tommy Burns in 1995, going on to win four league titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups during a tenyear spell that cemented his place in Celtic history. Capped 33 times by Scotland during a nine-year association with the national side, he was used in a variety of defensive and midfield roles during Martin O’Neill’s managerial tenure at club level and lifted the Scottish Cup as skipper twice in that time. A contract dispute saw McNamara move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2005, before stints at Aberdeen, Falkirk and Partick Thistle. He then moved into management at Firhill, switching to Dundee United in 2013. A disappointing spell with York City followed, with McNamara also serving as chief executive of the English outfit. He subsequently became a consultant for his first club Dunfermline. McNamara also launched an agency business and has a number of high-profile clients, including current Celtic stars Callum McGregor and Greg Taylor. He recently opened a sports bar in Fuengirola in Spain with Simon Donnelly, his former Celtic teammate and close friend.

All of our thoughts and prayers are with Jackie