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Rangers Manager Philippe Clement and members of both the Men’s and Women’s First Team squads took time out yesterday to visit kids at the Royal Hospital for Children, sign autographs and hand out presents.

The Manager and players also handed over a donation of £10,000 to Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity from the Rangers Charity Foundation which will contribute to the purchase of a specialist piece of sleep monitoring equipment.

In-patient polysomnography (PSG) sleep studies are an essential diagnostic tool to monitor and diagnose sleep disordered breathing in children, from new borns through to adolescents. Sleep disordered breathing can affect many children with varying diagnoses, including, but are not limited to, premature babies, Down’s Syndrome, Prader Willi Syndrome, metabolic disorders, genetic mutations, neurodiversity, metabolic disease, congenital cardiac disease, craniofacial disorders, airway disorders, epilepsy and neuromuscular disease.

To find the origin of the sleep disordered breathing, a PSG sleep study is performed. This helps guide the correct treatment required for the child. Last year, 260 in-patient PSGs were performed and the demand is increasing. Sleep studies are utilised by many disciplines in the hospital including respiratory, ENT, neurology, endocrinology, PICU, cardiology, neonatology, surgical and general paediatrics.

Glasgow Children’s Hospital is one of two hospitals in Scotland that offer this service, therefore children across the whole of Scotland will benefit from the donation.

Rangers Manager Philippe Clement commented: “I am really pleased, along with the players, to be back visiting the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow for this annual tradition.

“It was a humbling and memorable afternoon, and we enjoyed meeting the children and their families. Christmas is a difficult time to be in hospital so I hope we were able to bring some festive cheer.

“On behalf of everyone at Rangers Football Club and the Rangers Charity Foundation, I would like to wish everyone at the hospital a very Merry Christmas.”

Rangers Women’s Captain Nicola Docherty added: “We are delighted to be involved in this special tradition and help bring smiles to the faces of children and families going through really tough times in the run up to Christmas.”

Kirsten Watson, CEO of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, commented: “We are incredibly grateful to Rangers Football Club for their continued generosity and support. It’s so special to have players from both the men’s and women’s teams joining us this year to visit the hospital. Their time and the generous donation from the Rangers Charity Foundation make such a difference to our young patients, during what can be a challenging time for them.”

The Rangers Charity Foundation has enjoyed a special relationship with Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity for more than 20 years, with the Foundation donating cash, toys and equipment, supporting Christmas activities and organising special visits and treats for the children.”