Kelly in tears as his dad dies after Cup triumph

GLASGOW: Distraught Kilmarnock star Liam Kelly discovered his tragic dad had collapsed in the stand at Hampden— as he waited to pick up his Scottish League Cup winner’s medal.

The midfielder was about to celebrate his side’s historic 1-0 win over Celtic on Sunday with his joyful team-mates when he heard his father John had fallen ill.

Liam watched as a team of paramedics battled desperately to save him on the pitchside, before the 59- year-old was rushed to Glasgow’s Victoria Infirmary.

The frantic 22-year-old – still wearing his match kit – was seen racing to his dad’s side after he was carried into an ambulance on a stretcher.

But John – who was known as Jack – lost his fight for life and was later declared dead.

Speaking after the match, Kilmarnock boss Kenny Shiels looked shaken as he revealed what had happened.

He said: “I’ve gone from one emotional high to a low. It’s tough to go from one of the best moments of our lives to this. The dressing room is very despondent. I don’t know why the man above sends us down these messages, but we’ve gone from being really up to really down. We’re really thinking more about Liam than our triumphalism. That’s how we feel.”

Shiels added: “It’s been a tough week as it is, and now we’re on this rollercoaster. I’m all over the place. It happened beside our dug-out.”

Man of the match keeper Cammy Bell said: “I would rather take a defeat than someone’s dad dying. You think about your own dad when that happens.”

Sunday’s tragedy had chilling echoes of English Premier League ace Fabrice Muamba’s collapse on Saturday. The 23-year-old Bolton star is critically ill in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during his team’s FA Cup clash with Spurs.