'Little to no damage' - Falkirk boss John McGlynn provides positive Paul Smith update ahead of Raith Rovers trip

Ex-Falkirk player Smith, 62, took unwell after the Bairns’ 2-1 Scottish Cup exit against Raith Rovers last Sunday – but he is now home and on the mend.

McGlynn provided a positive update, saying: “It was quite a surprise, a shock. Our medical team were very much on the ball and the medics were involved and our doctor took him to St John’s in Livingston where he was working.

“They immediately got organised with an ambulance to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, where there was a team waiting for him to put a stent in.

“He was much better on Sunday evening and he knew then he was going to be getting another stent fitted on Wednesday there.

“Thankfully he was back home last night (Wednesday night), so it all good news.

“They've scanned his heart and they've said that there's been very little, maybe even no damage to the heart whatsoever, and he should make a full recovery.”

The boss also thanked the Falkirk fanbase and the wider Scottish footballing community for their response.

He said: “A massive thank you to everyone: fans, other football clubs, absolutely everyone who' ssent messages directly or indirectly through different ways.

“None of the two of us do social media, but we know that there's been like hundreds upon hundreds of messages.

“Paul and his family appreciate it very, very much. By Monday he was getting bored. He is old school like me! He wants to get in amongst it all.

“He's got to be careful, and he'll be given all the time that he needs. It will be hard for him on being there this Saturday. He'll have Falkirk TV on watching.”

McGlynn is hoping that the players will now “even more determination” to end their three-match winless run this Saturday when they travel to Raith Rovers in the William Hill Championship.

“Hopefully it does give us even more determination,” he said. “The boys will want to go out and try and get a result for Paul.

“That'll would be the best remedy for Paul, you know, the team working really hard, playing well, and coming back from Kirkcaldy with three points.

“That'll certainly get him back to fitness even quicker.”

On the crucial clash with Barry Robson’s side – with Falkirk now only two points ahead at the top of the table – McGlynn believes a bit of perspective is needed after the Bairns’ sudden drop-off.

He said: “We all get used to winning, eh? But was it realistic that we were going to go and win so many games in the Championship in such a difficult league?

“We have been punching well above our weight. We've certainly got a desire to get out of this league.

"The boys have been so consistently for so long and it'd be difficult to keep that going and going and going.

“But there's a huge desire in the dressing room. I'm hoping that the situation with Paul will give them that little edge, and maybe the situation with Callumn (Morrison) will give them an even bigger edge to get back to winning ways.”

Ross County loanee Eamonn Brophy missed out last weekend due to a knock and is touch and go for Saturday. He’s likely to be on the bench while an unnamed player will miss out due to a calf injury that is being assessed.