KEMAR ROOFE has detailed a 'difficult' few days that saw young son Cassius rushed to hospital as he missed Rangers' defeat to Dundee United last weekend.

The striker was absent from Steven Gerrard's squad for the Tannadice clash that saw Rangers suffer their first Premiership loss in 40 outings as Jamie Robson netted the only goal of the game.

Rangers later confirmed that Roofe was given leave to attend to his newborn child after he was admitted to the The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Cassius was treated for bronchiolitis and a chest infection and Roofe took to his Instagram account to thank NHS staff for the care that his son received during his five-night stay.

Roofe has now returned to Gerrard's squad ahead of the Premier Sports Cup fixture with Dunfermline this evening and is thankful to have his child home and healthy after a health scare.

Roofe said: "It's obviously not nice to have an eight-[day]-old with tubes and struggling to breathe and having to rush him to hospital, so it's been difficult but the world keeps turning and life goes on and he's got better.

"He's better now. He's at home, which is the most important thing.

"I tried to make the game last Saturday, but his condition got worse during the hospital visit when I went back after training, so then it was a bit too much for me to play the following day.

"No, it's okay [to focus]. It's two separate worlds for me. As soon as I go back home I'm a dad and as soon as I leave the house with my Rangers kit on, I'm a footballer.

"That's the way I try to keep it with my family and my friends. My kids care about football and what I do but they're not fazed about anything. It's just normal to them."