McNAMARA TRIBUTE TO DOCS – AND FANS

FORMER Celtic star Jackie McNamara has paid a heartfelt tribute to healthcare workers who saved his life.

The 46-year-old ex-Scotland international defender sent out his first public message since suffering a brain haemorrhage two months ago.

McNamara was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary after collapsing near to his home in York.

After awaking from a coma and spending several weeks recovering in hospital, the one-time Dundee United and Partick Thistle manager admitted he is hoping to return to life as normal.

And the former right-back, brought to the Hoops by Tommy Burns from Dunfermline for a bargain £600,000 in October 1995, talked about eventually getting back into football.

McNamara posted on You Tube: “Delighted to share my first message since my health scare in February. I would like to thank everybody for their messages of support.

“To the paramedics that helped save my life to start with and get me to hospital and the neurosurgeons who did the operation after my brain haemorrhage.

“I’m recovering from that, which has taken a bit of time, but I’m on the right road. I have one more operation to go and I’m feeling good about that and getting back to normal and back to work.

“Also, the messages of support from people out there – when I came out of the coma, it was such an overwhelming experience seeing all the messages and well-wishing people praying for me. It really helped me through a difficult period.”