Rod Stewart has taken to Instagram to share a moving tribute to his late Scottish father who 'will be looking down' on the Scotland team during their historic World Cup journey. The Maggie May rocker, 81, shared an old family snap during Scotland's game against Brazil last night at Miami Stadium, where Steve Clarke's team were beaten 3-0 in a heartbreaking defeat.
Family Snap and Scottish Pride
In the heartwarming snap, a young Rod with long blonde hair down to his shoulders could be seen smiling in a Scotland track jacket as he stood beside his mum and dad. While Rod himself was born in London, his father Robert Joseph Stewart was from Edinburgh and the singer is known to be fiercely proud of his Scottish roots. Rod captioned the snap: 'Dad will be looking down on our Tartan Army tonight. No Scotland No Party.'
Match Prediction and Reality
Sadly, Rod's match prediction for Scotland's game against Brazil didn't even come close to being true. He told the Record earlier in the week: 'Listen. If this game is even HALF as good as the Tartan Army have been in the USA - they're the greatest, most patriotic fans in the world and they've done Scotland proud - I think we'll beat Brazil 6-5!' Scotland fans were left deflated last night after Brazil won 3-0 with the first goal by Vinícius Júnior within just seven minutes.
Scotland's World Cup Hopes
Rod, who is a lifelong Scotland fan, flew out to Boston last week to cheer on his team, telling fans he'd 'die a happy man' if Scotland qualified. However, the chances of that are now looking more slim than ever after last night's result. Scotland will now have a nervous wait until the last group games finish to find out whether or not they make it to the knockout stage with only the top eight teams who placed third in their group advancing. The men’s team currently sits at number seven out of 12 on the third-place table and the Tartan Army will need to wait a few days to see how other teams fare.
Health Scare at Gig
Rod's comment came just days before he sparked health fears after being spotted with an oxygen tank during a gig. The singer 'nearly fainted' whilst performing at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City on Friday, June 19. An online clip showed Rod leaning against musical instruments, barriers and a pole at the side of the stage as he was visibly struggling to continue with his set. He was then forced to pause the concert to receive help as crew members reportedly brought out an oxygen tank after Rod doubled over.
The singer has since insisted he is 'absolutely fine' as he told the Record: 'I'm 100% fine now. We were performing at high altitude - 1500m above sea level - and nobody bothered to tell me before the show! Anyone who runs to keep in shape will know you have to acclimatise to high altitude. That's why, for example, the Scotland squad flew into America long before their first game at the World Cup. A few minutes before starting the gig, I asked my assistant if we were at altitude and he said 'no'. So I ran on stage, launched into my set and started my silly dancing. And that's when it hit me... bosh!!! It felt as though my lungs had collapsed.'
