NACHO GIRL THANKS FANS FOR SUPPORT
Stephanie grateful to star’s well-wishers
THE girlfriend of stricken ex-Rangers ace Nacho Novo has thanked fans for their support as he recovers from a heart attack.
The former footballer was rushed to hospital after falling ill as he played for a team of Ibrox legends at a tournament in Berlin on Saturday.
Yesterday, we told how the Rangers hero made a frantic call to his son Javier, seven, before being rushed into the operating theatre for life-saving heart surgery. Novo, 38, was last night in a stable condition and recovering well.
His girlfriend Stephanie Heaney, who has flown out from Glasgow to be by his bedside, thanked fans yesterday for their support.
She wrote on Facebook: “Everyone at Rangers has been constantly on the phone and keeping up to date with his progress.
“Nacho is getting lots of rest at the moment and he’s well looked after. The doctors have been amazing. Thank you to all the fans and friends for all the amazingly kind messages of support.”
Novo – whose mother died of heart disease in her mid 40s – has complained regularly of chest pains for much of the past six years but doctors said it was stress-related.
German medics discovered he had a blocked artery. The striker’s former team-mates and opponents shared their best wishes with the Spaniard. Ex-Rangers striker Marco Negri wrote: “Get well soon, amigo.”
Former Old Firm foes Chris Sutton and John Hartson also posted messages on social media.
Record Sport columnist Sutton tweeted: “Best wishes and thoughts to Nacho Novo and his family after he had a heart attack.”
And Welsh striker Hartson wrote: “Get well soon, wee Nacho Novo, hope you make a speedy recovery.”