Livingston captain Nicky Devlin has received praise for wearing ear defenders in support of a young Rangers mascot prior to the side’s clash at the weekend.
Young Layton Steel is believed to be one of the first mascots in a wheelchair to make it on to the turf for an SPFL clash.
And Devlin donned a headset ahead of the fixture - which the Gers won 3-0 - to show solidarity with autistic Layton, who needs the defenders to muffle the sound of the stadium.
Layton’s mum Lizzy, 40, said: “To be one of the first-ever wheelchair mascots at such a big game is an achievement in itself. He was so excited and the fact the captain wore ear defenders with him was an amazing thing to see.
“This will help bring a lot of awareness to disabilities like Layton’s. It was a special moment.”
Layton, from Govan in Glasgow, was born with spina bifida and lives with a shunt, which drains fluid from around his brain. As well as being autistic, he is visually impaired and has spent a lot of his life in hospital due to a string of other health issues.
But despite his struggles, the youngster is thriving at Langlands Primary School in Pollok and loves to support Rangers with his dad John, 48, who was by his side on the pitch at the Tony Macaroni Arena.
Lizzy added: “Layton watches the football with his dad. He loves to watch the players and see them running back and forwards.
“He also laughs his head off when one of them falls over. It was a big surprise for him on Saturday and he absolutely loved it. When he was in the tunnel with the players around him he was so excited.”
Layton’s special day was arranged by the John O’Byrne Foundation which makes memories for sick kids in Scots hopsitals. Founder John spent much of his childhood in hospital suffering from brittle bones, said he had been unsuccessfully trying to get children in wheelchairs on to pitches as mascots for a decade.
He was repeatedly turned down by big clubs, who said the turf couldn’t accommodate the chairs and equipment. John said: “I’ve been trying to do this for 10 years but other clubs had been tip-toeing around it for too long. Some said they just couldn’t entertain it.
“It bothered me to think that there were kids in wheelchairs watching other children walk out with the captains and thinking they couldn’t. I knew it was time for something to change.
“I almost gave up until I spoke to Livingston’s manager David Martindale. He was so positive about it and said, ‘Let’s make this happen’.
“The club have been so positive and great to deal with so we’re hoping this can now kickstart something special with other clubs. Saturday was a big occasion for Layton, his family and my charity.”
After the match, Devlin took to social media to post: “Disappointing result yesterday, but really hope Layton had a great day! A brilliant kid and hopefully he made some special memories.”
The club’s official account also tweeted: “It was also an honour to welcome young Layton Tee-Jay Steel to our game as a mascot yesterday.
“The youngster led both sides onto the pitch ahead of the game, with our club captain @NickyDevlin6 donning ear defenders just like Layton to ensure he felt as comfortable as possible.”
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