Raith Rovers boss McGlynn’s “nightmare” battle against illness

The 59-year-old underwent a gallbladder removal the day before the club’s opening game of the season against East Fife in October and had ho ped to return to work within days.

However he suffered setbacks in his recovery, an experience he describes as “a nightmare”.

"It was very frustrating,” he says, “but when you've been healthy for all of your life and you get hit with an illness that doesn't go well - it wasn't as straightforward as I expected it to be - it makes you think.

“My brother had his gallbladder out and within a matter of days he was brand new but mine has been a nightmare. It went on and on for a considerable time.

“It makes you refocus your priorities and your health is very much your main priority.

“I received plenty of get well soon messages and cards from Rovers supporters which I really appreciated and I thank everyone who sent them.

“I'm a lot better now. I've phased back into work and I'm in a much better position now than I was when I first came back.

“I'm football daft and I will always be football daft but when you get ill for the first time in your life, and it doesn't go the way you expect it to go, you prioritise your health.

“It's as simple as that.”

Assistant Paul Smith took over as McGlynn recovered and has navigated the club through what the manager says is “an amazing start” to the season in the Championship

"It's probably beyond our wildest dreams,” he admits.

"I'm absolutely delighted with the way things have gone. It was never going to be completely plain sailing. We had the defeat up at Inverness which you can understand. It's a difficult place to go.

“The only real downside has been our last game and the home defeat to Queen of the South. That was a disappointment for us.

“We had targeted three points from that game but didn't turn up on the night, but we just have to get on.

“We're an attacking team and always have been and the work that's been done over the past few years is what people are seeing now.”

He added: “It's been a great start.”