SCOTLAND and England footballing stars will appeal to millions of TV viewers to help protect children from Ebola before tomorrow's kick-off in the friendly between the two sides.

Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher, manager Gordon Strachan and England captain Wayne Rooney are to join forces in an on-air appeal just before kick-off at 8pm to raise money for Unicef's Emergency Ebola Appeal.

It will be screened on ITV and Sky Sports, which are both covering the fixture at Celtic Park, before the game starts and then repeated at half-time. The stars will be asking the public to help in the fight against the disease by donating to the appeal.

To top up cash, the UK Government will match pound for pound all public donations made during the game.

"Scotland v England is always an important match but for once the game is about far more than just football," said Fletcher. "On Tuesday night I urge all our fans to transfer their passion for the Scottish team into helping these children so we can really make a difference."

Rooney added: "Children are in danger and they need our help. As a dad, I can't imagine what it's like for your child to be at risk of this deadly disease."

The fundraising effort comes as the number of people who have lost their lives to the disease reaches 5,000 with more than 13,000 infected across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.