Rangers star Lewis Macleod has taken time out from his club’s bid for a return to the Scottish Premiership to pay tribute to a friend and former team-mate from Moray.
Macleod – who has just been named in the Scotland squad for forthcoming games against the Republic of Ireland and England – was delighted to speak about his friend Nicky Main, who had just heard that he had won a long fight against a brain tumour.
Macleod and Main, who has just signed for Lossiemouth in the Highland League, became close when the pair were trainees at Rangers’ Murray Park training ground.
The son of former St Johnstone goalkeeper and Rangers coach Alan Main, injury forced Nicky, now 21, to quit Rangers and soon after he received the shocking news that he was suffering from the tumour.
A course of 26 radiotherapy sessions followed before major surgery was undertaken four years ago saw a hole drilled in his brain to clear built-up fluid.
Paying tribute to his friend Macleod said: “I played many games with Nicky when he was at Rangers and he was a year older than me. You could not get a nicer boy – so to hear news that he’s been given the all-clear is brilliant.”
Nicky is now determined to resume his football career and is currently on loan from Lossiemouth to local junior side Lossiemouth United as he builds up his match fitness.
Last night Lossiemouth’s chairman Royce Clark said: “It was a nice touch from Lewis Macleod to talk about Nicky who we are all now looking forward to seeing light up the Highland League.”