Pars family’s support for Jackie

Jim Leishman admits everyone at Dunfermline is just hoping and praying Jackie Mcnamara can make a full recovery.

Mcnamara is fighting for his life after undergoing surgery for a suspected bleed on the brain.

The news has been greeted with shock from those closest to the 46-year-old former Celtic and Scotland defender, whose family have requested privacy.

And Leishman, who gave Mcnamara his professional break when he signed him for Dunfermline straight from school, is keeping his fingers crossed his one-time protege – son of ex-hibs and Celtic favourite Jackie senior – ‘gets through this’.

Mcnamara has also been acting in a consultancy capacity with the Pars since January last year and has been back at East End Park to watch his old club in action since taking on the role providing “technical support to the board”.

Leishman said: “Everyone at Dunfermline is obviously very upset by the news about Jackie, we’re upset for him and upset for his family, and we’re all praying that he can fully recover. I also know Jackie’s father very well, I’ve known him a long time, I’ve met his family, and we’ve just got to hope for the best.

“It’s a critical time for him just now and everybody will be really anxious. Our thoughts right now are with the family and everybody close to him.

“I’ve seen Jackie at games recently, he comes to our games now and again, and he’s been about the club as well. He’s a great boy.

“The chairman talks to him regularly and discusses football with him and potential signings and so on.

“We’re just hoping he gets through this.

“Jackie would have been about 15 and still at school when I signed him on S-forms for Dunfermline and obviously he went on to have a brilliant career.

“I played just a wee part in that, it was down to the people who came after me, the people at Celtic.

“He learned his trade at Dunfermline and then moved on to do great things at Celtic.”

Picture: SNS Group. Jim Leishman.