Ally McCoist has defended Marc Guehi after the Crystal Palace captain sparked controversy by scrawling a religious message on his rainbow armband.
The defender penned "Jesus loves you" on it for Tuesday's match against Ipswich and wrote a similar note on the armband in Saturday's draw with Newcastle. The devout Christian insisted he was spreading a "message of inclusivity" after escaping FA action, saying: "I believe 100% in the words that I wrote, even what I’ve just said now – it’s a message of truth and love, and I hope people can understand that my faith is my faith, and I’ll stand by it for the rest of my life."
The Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign, in support of the LGBTQ+ community, ends tonight. But the fallout surrounding Guehi and the refusal by Ipswich captain and practising Muslim Sam Morsy to wear the armband due to his "religious beliefs" could force top-flight chiefs to reconsider the future of the campaign.
However, McCoist has thrown his support behind Guehi and Morsy and insists it should be down to the individual to decide whether or not to take part. The Rangers icon told talkSPORT: "I don't have a problem at all. The problem isn't Marc Guehi saying 'I love Jesus'. The problem is people having a problem with it. I mean, dear me, all he's doing is expressing his feelings for Jesus. Are you really getting upset about that, what is the world coming to?
Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace
(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
"I mentioned Sam Morsy as well who didn't wear the armband. Whether we agree with it or not, that is his belief, and I don't have a problem with that either. That is his belief, I don't necessarily agree with it but that doesn't mean I'm going to throw the toys out of the pram and say he's out of order. That's his choice and Marc Guehi's choice to tell the world that he loves Jesus. I mean, is that such a big deal?
"I don't think you ask people to do things that they're not comfortable with or that they don't believe in. I think it should be up to the individual to tell you the truth. The irony in Marc Guehi potentially having to face the beaks for wearing something that says 'I love Jesus', and they're all about tolerance and acceptance... I said yesterday, the most tolerant human being that's ever walked this Earth was Jesus Christ. So the irony of that whole thing isn't lost on me at all.
"It's about freedom of choice. If they want to take part in it, great. If they don't want to take part in it, then they don't want to take part in it. I wouldn't be holding a gun to anyone's head. I certainly wouldn't hold it against anybody just because they don't have the same views and beliefs as I do or somebody else does."