Chris McKee couldn’t speak to his Brechin City team-mates for crying.
The highly rated Murray Park starlet was sent off during the Play Off defeat to Kelty Hearts that sent his loan club into the wilderness of the Highland League.
McKee was sent to Brechin to boost their chances of survival but instead brought shame on the club, himself and his family for being sent off for shouting homophobic abuse at an opponent.
The teenager now faces an internal investigation from the club that launched the Everyone, Anyone PR stunt in 2019 as well as the full force of the SFA.
Brechin boss Michael Parkin saw his side’s hopes of escape sunk by a 1-0 defeat after losing the first leg 2-1 with uncertainty over their future with no other Highland League club within 50 miles of their Glebe Street home.
Asked about the shamed Ibrox starlet, Paton told The Sun:
I think Chris has said something to the referee he isn’t too happy with. I haven’t got the chance to speak to him as he is in a state, crying in the dressing room. He can’t even get his words out.
He is bubbling and he isn’t wanting to talk to anyone so I don’t know what he said but for the referee to show him a straight red card then it must be something clear enough and something that shouldn’t have been said.
The homophobic offence was reported by BBC Scotland with the SFA waiting on the Referee Report from Craig Napier.