By Kyle Gunn 

Alan Stubbs says football doesn’t matter when it comes to your health as he wishes Craig Levein well after he was admitted to hospital.

Former Saints coach Austin MacPhee will take temporary charge of the Jambos as the old national team boss recovers from his health scare, including on Saturday when the Buddies visit Tynecastle.

And Stubbs, who fought cancer while at Celtic as a player, knows just how much Scottish football rallies round in times of illness.

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He said: “I want to wish Craig a speedy recovery, not just on behalf of St Mirren Football Club but on behalf of the football community. I think everybody was a bit shocked by the news.

“It is something that you probably don’t envisage but it just goes to show the stress and the pressures that managers go through. They are all human beings.

The Gazette:

Hearts boss Levein was rushed to hospital earlier this week 

“My biggest one was obviously when I went through my cancer situation at Celtic and the response I got from Rangers fans at the time.

“Everyone comes together, because when I think when you take a step back from football and that bubble at the end of the day it is a serious business and it can affect you in different ways.”

It was a disappointing performance in last weeks’ defeat to Livingston and Saints are looking to turn it round in the capital. 

“In football you don’t expect to win any game - but you try to win as many games as you can," he continued. 

"I think, and no disrespect to Livingston, but because they were a team we expect to be around the bottom of the table then it is important that we pick up as many points as we can against them.

“That’s what made it even more disappointing."

One player who won’t be on the team coach going to Edinburgh is Kenny Miller. The former Rangers man turned down an offer from the Paisley side and looks set to join Dundee.

With the window shutting tomorrow, Stubbs is still looking to add a striker but concedes it might not happen.

He continued: “We had put our case forward to Kenny and at one point we thought we might be right in there. Unfortunately it didn’t happen but that is part of football, sometimes you get signings over the line and sometimes you don’t.

“You are never confident into they are in the door and signed the papers. I haven’t spoken to Kenny since the initial conversation with him, he has dealt with Tony Fitzpatrick.

READ MORE: St Mirren need to strengthen, admits Stubbs after Livi loss

“Tony spoke to him on Tuesday and he indicated he was going to go elsewhere. I don’t think it was financial, he has just decided to go elsewhere.

“We find ourselves in the same boat as a lot of teams. A lot of managers will say it has been a frustrating window. We would like to get a striker in, whether that is possible I am not sure.”