O'Neill has rival's prayers

Rangers defender Marvin Andrews was more interested in offering his sympathy to Celtic manager Martin O’Neill than celebrating the Ibrox side’s unlikely title triumph today.

Rangers defender Marvin Andrews was more interested in offering his sympathy to Celtic manager Martin O’Neill than celebrating the Ibrox side’s unlikely title triumph today.

Andrews and his team-mates defied the odds to snatch the title from Celtic’s grasp on the final day of the season when they held on for a win against Hibernian, while their Old Firm rivals suffered a late defeat at Motherwell.

Few would have put money on Rangers emerging triumphant but devout Christian and faith healer Andrews proved he never doubted the outcome as he celebrated at Easter Road by revealing a t-shirt with the slogan: ‘The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God’.

Andrews knows that Celtic manager O’Neill and his players will be hurting today, as speculation mounts that the Hoops boss is set to quit to care for his wife Geraldine, who is ill.

And the 29-year-old – who chose a quiet moment of reflection at church instead of partying last night – said: “My main concern for Martin O’Neill is about his family and his wife.

“Myself and my minister in the church are going to pray that God touches his wife and helps her recover from whatever problem she has.

“You cannot compare any championship in football to family.”

Andrews added: “I know the person who is responsible for what happened yesterday is the Lord Jesus Christ and the Almighty God so I am so thankful to God.

“I have been thanking God all day and went to church last night to thank God.

“It has just been so wonderful and showed me how great the Almighty God is.”

Andrews once turned down the opportunity to sign for Dundee United, claiming God told him not to leave Livingston at that time, and the decision paid off when Rangers targeted him last summer.

The defender’s unshakeable belief was evident again when he suffered cruciate knee ligament damage two months ago but refused an operation, saying he would rather trust in the power of faith healing instead.

Remarkably, he continues to play on without surgery and is set to join up with the Trinidad and Tobago squad for a couple of internationals early next month.

A banner in the crowd at Easter Road yesterday read ‘Keep believing’ and Andrews insists his belief that Alex McLeish’s men would win the title never wavered for a moment.

He told Sky Sports: “I always said that we would win the league and I told the other guys that.

“It wasn’t looking like that, with us being two points behind, but I just kept believing and trusting God and God has brought it through in the end.

“We have been written off many times but the character of the team, the manager and the supporters meant we didn’t give in and we kept fighting to the end.

“I’m very happy for the manager because he has been getting loads of criticism even with the players he brought in in the summer, myself being one of them.

“At the end of the day he is reaping the reward and I’m so delighted for him and hope he keeps enjoying every bit of it.

“The manager is a very strong character. He just never gives up and he is a man who fights to the end.”

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