A Scotland superfan who brought smiles to thousands of faces after going viral on social media has died.
William Thomson, a cancer patient at Strathcarron Hospice, has sadly passed away aged 79.
Willie caught the attention of the nation when Scotland boss Steve Clarke sent him a video message following Scotland's historic victory over Serbia, which qualified the national team for a first major tournament in 22 years.
After seeing a photo of Willie celebrating on social media, Clarke took it upon himself to reach out to the 79-year-old and thank him for his support.
Clarke said: "Willie, I saw your picture on Twitter - fantastic, to see you with that smile on your face. It says what it means to everybody in the country.
"I hope you enjoyed the night. I hope you're proud of the boys and their performance and we're certainly proud of you. Take care".
Video subsequently shared by the hospice, where Falkirk man Willie was looked after, showed his incredibly emotional response in which he called Steve Clarke 'his hero' and a 'magic manager', while telling him: "I'm so proud of you".
The Scotland National Team last night paid tribute to Willie, posting on Twitter: "We're saddened to hear about Willie's passing.
"Our thoughts are with the Thomson family at this difficult time."
