Daughter tells of family’s fears while Sir Kenny battled Covid
THE daughter of Sir Kenny Dalglish has described her family’s fears over the football legend’s Covid-19 diagnosis.
Sky Sports host Kelly Cates, 44, said it had been a ‘worrying time’ while her 69-year-old father was in hospital battling the virus.
Former Scotland international Sir Kenny was admitted to hospital in March and was receiving intravenous antibiotics for an unrelated infection when he had a routine test for Covid-19.
Mrs Cates told the Radio Times: ‘It came out positive, even though he had no symptoms. He is absolutely well now, but that was a worrying time. It didn’t occur to us that he would have it.’
She added: ‘It’s a reminder of how vigilant we need to be – it’s why I was at the supermarket in gloves and mask. He was so careful and still ended up with the virus.’
Sir Kenny, born in Dalmarnock, Glasgow, and brought up in the city’s Milton district, was able to
‘He was so careful and still got virus’
recover in self-isolation at his Merseyside home in early April.
He wrote at the time: ‘I would just like to thank the doctors, nurses and all the staff for looking after me. They were absolutely brilliant.
‘People may think the Dalglish name got me in and got me the best of care. Not so.
‘I was looked after because the NHS staff treat everyone the same. They look upon everyone as human beings.’
The former striker won the Scottish league title four times at Celtic before moving to Liverpool in 1977.
At Anfield his honours included eight league championships as a player and manager and three European Cups. Mrs Cates, from
Glasgow, is usually seen presenting football coverage of the English Premiership.
While she believes it is not too soon for the safe return of football, she felt unable to send her 11-year-old daughter Gabriella back to school at the beginning of this month after the UK Government declared that safe.
Mrs Cates, who has another daughter, Milla, nine, said: ‘I’ve really struggled with it. Gabriella is very much sick of my home schooling now, missing the class environment and her friends. I just feel more comfortable keeping her at home a little longer.
‘All the parents are having the same conversation, trying to make the right decision. It’s so hard. I don’t know if I’ve made the right decision.’
Discussing the return of football south of the Border, she said: ‘After speaking with medics working on this, I’m reassured it’s not too soon.
‘So many precautions will be in place that it feels like this will be one of the safest working environments around.’