Ex-Ger Little is stable after fracturing skull
Dave: My pal won’t cause bother – it must be crossed wires at Ibrox
FORMER Rangers striker Andy Little has suffered a fractured skull in a training-ground accident at Stirling Albion.
After what the club described as an “accidental clash of heads” the Northern Irishman is now stable in hospital.
Chairman Stuart Brown said: “While this was a serious and scary incident and Andy’s injuries are substantial, he is now stable and out of danger.
“His injuries are a fractured skull and eye socket and he faces a long journey to recovery.
“I can’t thank our club doctor Andrew Deeley, physio Kenny Crichton and the paramedics enough for their swift and expert attention.” DAVE MACKAY insists Michael O’Halloran doesn’t have the nature to be a troublemaker.
And the former St Johnstone skipper reckons his old team-mate could be an asset for Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha instead of being an outcast banished to the Murray Park shadows.
O’Halloran has been taken out of top-team training at Murray Park in the build-up to Saturday’s match against Partick Thistle after failing to show up for an Under-20s fixture.
The winger was pencilled in to start the youth game against Hearts at Stirling Albion’s Forthbank Stadium at the beginning of the week but failed to show for the contest.
O’Halloran is understood to have met with Caixinha yesterday and was ordered to train separately from the first-team squad.
The 26-year-old’s position at the club now appears to be in question but Mackay has been left bemused by the events. He and O’Halloran were colleagues in Perth before the winger moved to Glasgow for £500,000 at the beginning of last year.
And the man who now manages the Binos saw only a dedicated professional who courted no bother and caused no issues in Tommy Wright’s dressing room.
He said: “I don’t think anyone ever had a problem with Michael throughout all of his time at St Johnstone. He was a quiet boy who came into training and just got his work done.
“He would work as hard as he could. He would do extra afterwards as he liked to look after himself then he would then finish up and head home.
“There was never any hassle with anyone and I don’t think he is the type of boy who would cause bother in a changing room.
“It’s not in his character to be outspoken or deliberately go out of his way to cause disruption.
“Initially he can be quite shy but once he gets to know people he comes out of his shell. But he’s still not one of the loud ones likely to cause a fuss about anything.
“He likes a laugh and a joke but he’ll sit in the background giggling away rather than being one of the ones going out and nailing people. I always found him a good lad and I had a lot of time for him.”
Mackay has only picked up on O’Halloran’s situation over the past 24 hours and was startled at the accusations made in the wake of the Under-20s clash.
He said: “When I saw the stories and read what had happened I was surprised. I’ve no idea what the situation is, it’s between Rangers and Michael. But I felt as though it had to be some sort of miscommunication because he didn’t strike me as the type of guy who would do something like that.
“His attitude and commitment was never in question while he was at St Johnstone.
“I find it hard to imagine the guy I worked with would know the details of where and when he needed to be – then just not turn up.
“I’m sure there is some sort of explanation. I’d be so surprised if it was the case that he just didn’t turn up.”
Whatever the reason for it, O’Halloran’s failure to trap has landed him in hot water with Caixinha.
Mackay, though, looks at the Rangers line-up and wonders if they could be doing with the type of attacking verve and direct thrust which hallmarked O’Halloran’s spell at Saints and brought about his transfer to Ibrox for half-a-million quid.
He said: “Michael has never really had a great chance in the Rangers first team as far as I can see. Mark Warburton signed him and a lot of that was maybe to do with a League Cup tie we played at Ibrox and absolutely destroyed Rangers in a 3-1 win.
“He tore Rangers apart with his pace playing through the middle causing them one problem after
CRAIG SWAN