Former Rangers striker Nacho Novo is out of intensive care and "looking much better" after suffering a suspected heart attack on Saturday, staff at his bar have said.

The 38-year-old was featuring for Rangers in the AOK Traditionsmasters 2018 in Berlin when he was taken ill after they had been knocked out of the round-robin tournament.

It is understood he was rushed to hospital from the Max-Schmeling-Halle arena before undergoing emergency surgery.

Staff at his NN10 bar in Glasgow said the footballer is in "amazing hands" in Germany and is doing well.

Glasgow Times:

A post on the bar's Facebook page said: "Great news Nacho is out of intensive care and looking much better he still has a long way to go and needs lots of rest but is in a stable condition and fingers crossed he will be home soon hopefully in the next week or so.

"Thank you for all the continuous support and love for Nacho he's extremely grateful and humbled by the well wishes."

His girlfriend Stephanie Heaney also said the former footballer was all “cuddles and talking football” as she assured fans she will have him home safe and sound “no matter what it takes.”

Writing on Facebook, the 33-year-old, from Busby near Glasgow, said: “Cuddles and talking football. Nacho’s still stable, chatting and smiling.

“Hospital have allowed me to stay with him the full time and the doctors have all been absolutely amazing, even found me some English tea.

“Again, really appreciate the lovely messages. I will have Nacho home safe and sound with me no matter what it takes.

“He’s the most amazing man and the love of my life and I’m so proud of how strong he has been.

“I have told him about all the amazing kind messages from fans and he’s overwhelmed.

“Thank you for all the lovely support.”

"He needs his girl and I love him so much,” she added.

Her post comes hours after the Evening Times reported how dozens of vile trolls flooded social media site Twitter with cruel comments aimed at Novo.

Many of the comments echo a “song” which has been sung and aimed at the 38-year-old in the past.

It contains the lyrics: “I hope you die in your sleep Nacho Novo, I hope you die in your sleep, I pray…”

One tweet said: “I hope you die in your sleep nacho novo.......”

Another Twitter user wrote: “Hope you die within a week nacho novo!”

“Nacho novo , won't see ten in a row,” was another tweet to have emerged.

Charity Nil By Mouth was among those to quickly condemn the trolls.

Campaign director Dave Scott said: “This type of bigoted, poisonous behaviour is sadly becoming more and more prevalent on social media sites as attention-seeking wannabes try and beat each other in a race to the bottom.

“If your reaction to someone having an heart attack is to gloat because they once played for a rival football club in an effort to get other morons to click ‘like’, you’re a pretty poor excuse for a human being.”

On Saturday morning Novo, who last played for Northern Irish side Glentoran, posted a picture on Instagram of him sharing a pre-match coffee with team-mate Michael Mols, with Gordon Durie, Alex Rae, Andy Goram and Jorg Albertz also playing for Rangers.

The picture has been "liked" more than 6,200 times, with many people writing get well soon messages.

Northern Irish side Glentoran, who released Novo in May, tweeted: ''Speedy recovery Nacho.''