Rangers idol Nacho Novo is in hospital after suffering a heart attack playing in a tournament with other club legends.

The former Ibrox striker was playing for the Glasgow club in a five-a-side Legends tournament in Berlin, participating in two matches in a team featuring other Gers’ favourites Jorge Albertz, Andy Goram, Michael Mols, Lee McCulloch, Charlie Miller, Derek Ferguson and Marvin Andrews.

Novo’s girlfriend Stephanie Heaney wrote on Facebook: “It’s like one bad thing after another right now. My goodness.”

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The 38-year-old was participating in the AOK Traditions Masters on Saturday before he was rushed to hospital for an operation. It is expected Novo will spend seven days in hospital as he recovers from the illness.

According to reports, Novo thought he had picked up a simple chest infection before his condition was found to be life-threatening.

The Spaniard spent six years at Rangers after joining from Dundee in 2004. He scored 73 goals for the club.

He was a fans’ favourite playing 255 games helping the club to three Scottish Premiership titles, a Scottish Cup, two League Cups and reaching the final of the Uefa Cup in 2007-08.

One of his highlights at the Ibrox club was scoring the winner in the 2009 Scottish Cup final, which earned the speedy forward his second double with Rangers.

Novo was also inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in March 2014.

His other clubs include Raith Rovers, Morton, Carlisle, Sporting Gijon, Legia Warsaw and Glentoran FC until May this year.

Tributes and get well messages flooded social media on Sunday as the news broke.

Belfast side Glentoran tweeted: “Best wishes to our former player @nnovo1010 for a swift and full recovery in hospital in Berlin after taking ill after playing in a masters tournament yesterday. Speedy recovery Nacho.”

Former Celtic star Chris Sutton posted: “Best wishes and thoughts to Nacho Novo and his family after he had a heart attack yesterday”.

Novo’s former team-mate Ugo Ehiogu, Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-23s coach, died from a cardiac arrest last year aged just 44 at the English club’s training ground.

The players were both at Rangers during the 2007-08 season.