A CLOSE friend of Rangers hero Fernando Ricksen has shared a touching image of the ex-footballer, labelling him a “fighter.”

The 41-year-old Dutchman’s biographer Vincent De Vries shared the image on his Twitter page.

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It shows a hand gently stroking the side of Ricksen’s face alongside the caption: “Fighter.”

Ticksen, who played almost 200 times for Rangers between 2000 and 2006, was diagnosed four years ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

ALS is the most common form of the muscle-wasting condition Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

He played from 1993 to 2011 for, among others, Fortuna Sittard, Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg. He is currently being looked after at his Spanish home by wife Viktoria Veselova.

As previously reported by the Evening Times, fears surrounded Ricksen after his close pal reportedly revealed the extent to which the ex-footballer’s health had rapidly gone downhill.

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According to a news report, Ricksen would never be appearing in public again.

In a heart-rending interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraff, De Vries apparently described how Ricksen “can no longer talk.”

He added: “No more WhatsApps and he stares out on his balcony in Valencia.

“The only communication that still takes place with him is through his blinking eyes.”

De Vries, however, blasted the report and labelled it false.

He posted on his Twitter page: “Fernando Ricksen denies rumors about him ‘dying very soon’.”

Ricksen revealed last November that his health was deteriorating rapidly and that MND will claim his life.

He said: “I know what the outcome will be of this terminal disease, but I’m not going to waste any time or energy worrying about the future.

“I’m realistic and know that, at the moment, there is no cure for MND.

“But the outlook hasn’t changed and is still terminal and there are no new treatments at the moment.”

The Evening Times reported how he broke down as devoted fans gathered around him to give him a standing ovation at Ibrox during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match against Hamilton that month.

READ MORE: Fernando Ricksen ‘unable to control tears’ as muscle-wasting disease worsens

Pulling up at the stadium in a taxi, hundreds of loyal supporters burst into cheers and applause as the Dutchman emerged from the car.

Just before emerging, he looks outside at the swelling crowd and, taken aback, muttered: “Perfect.”

Amid the moving reception outside, one fan could be heard shouting: “God bless you, Fernando.”