FORMER Rangers' captain Craig Moore has undergone surgery for cancer.

The Australian player had the emergency operation yesterday - just five days after it was discovered the tough tackling defender had testicular cancer.

The former Ibrox favourite has been told to rest for the next fortnight before undergoing more tests. However, the urologist who is treating him said Moore's "outlook is good".

He has been ordered to rest for two weeks and will have further tests in six weeks.

The 32-year-old has had to withdraw from the Australia team that is due to play Bahrain next week in a World Cup qualifier.

Pim Verbeek, the Australia coach, was taken aback by the news of Moore's surgery.

He said: "It's always a shock to hear of a diagnosis like this, but I am encouraged by the prognosis from the medical practitioner. I speak for the entire team in wishing him a speedy recovery."

Ben Buckley, chief executive of Football Federation Australia, said the player's "legendary toughness" and good fitness would help in his recovery.

A spokeswoman for Rangers said: "Everybody at Rangers wishes Craig a speedy recovery."

The health scare comes after Moore returned from a brief international retirement to play in the Socceroos' World Cup qualifying win over Qatar last month.

Moore shone as a football prodigy at the Australian Institute of Sport - a college for sporting excellence - when he was spotted by scouts.

As a result, he left his family and jetted to Glasgow to join Rangers when he was just 17 and rose to become club captain.

He had two spells at Ibrox, playing for Rangers for 11 years, but was stripped of the captaincy four years ago when he decided to play for Australia at the Athens Olympics instead of being in Scotland for the start of the club's league campaign.

Moore then played for German side Borussia Moenchengladbach under former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat from January 2005 before moving to Newcastle under Graeme Souness.

Moore returned to play in the Australian A-League for Queensland Roar last year.

He is not the only Old Firm player to have suffered from testicular cancer.

Former Celtic defender Alan Stubbs had to overcome two cancer scares during his time at the club between 1996 and 2001.

He made a full recovery and played for Everton before being forced to quit the game because of a knee injury.Stubbs is now a TV pundit with Setanta Sports.