ALLY McCoist, the former Rangers and Scotland footballer, has settled his (pounds) 2m divorce settlement after a meeting with his estranged wife, Allison.

The settlement comes less than a week after his high-profile divorce court appearance was postponed for a second time because he had a bacterial infection.

McCoist said last night: ''I can confirm that I have settled my divorce case. We're both very happy that this difficult matter has been resolved. We now want to get on with our lives and look after our children.''

It is understood that the McCoists met yesterday for almost four hours in the offices of the TV pundit's solicitors, Harper Macleod, in Gordon Street, Glasgow, where a deal was worked out.

Rod McKenzie, a partner with the firm, said last night: ''I am not able to go into the specifics of what was discussed today involving Mr and Mrs McCoist and their solicitors. But I can confirm that both parties left our offices in Glasgow content with the outcome.''

No details of the settlement were available. A source close to McCoist suggested: ''Plainly Ally wouldn't be content if he was paying what his wife had been asking for. We can assume that he has agreed something less than this.''

However, in turn, given that Mrs McCoist was prepared to turn up in the full glare of publicity twice at court, she is not likely to have settled for much less than she was demanding.

The millionaire television personality's wife was seeking a divorce pay-off of (pounds) 2m plus an allowance of (pounds) 4000 a month.

McCoist did not contest the divorce - on the grounds of his unreasonable behaviour - and the couple had agreed arrangements for looking after their sons Alex, nine, and five-year-old twins, Mitchell and Argyll. However, he opposed the massive cash settlement which would have claimed almost half of his estimated (pounds) 5m

fortune.

The divorce case was supposed to start at the Court of Session in Edinburgh nine days ago, but was delayed when a doctor's certificate was produced saying the absent McCoist was suffering from ''symptoms of significant viral illness''.

However, Morag Wise, representing Mrs McCoist, told the court McCoist had left the home he still shared with his wife at 6.30pm the previous evening and had not returned until 6.30am. Her client had seen no signs of ailment then.

Two days later, a request from Janys Scott, advocate and counsel for McCoist, to reschedule the case for February 3 was granted.

Barring the failure of yesterday's agreement being made formal, that case will now not be necessary.

A tabloid newspaper photographed the former striker driving his children to football practice on the same day lawyers handed in a second sick note to court. McCoist was pictured dropping off two of his sons in Port Glasgow less than five hours after missing the hearing.

Friends later claimed he drove his children because his wife was absent from the family home on the birthday of his eldest son.

The divorce battle between the footballer and the model who was once crowned Miss Sunderland began two years ago, after his affair with Patsy Kensit, the actress.

McCoist is said to earn (pounds) 250,000 a year from his appearances on ITV1's football programme The Premiership and BBC 1's Question of Sport.

He is said to own property in Portugal, have a financial interest in pubs in East Kilbride and Aviemore, and is believed to have made more than (pounds) 1m from shares in Beat 106, the Glasgow radio station.

McCoist also owns a home at Formakin, near Langbank, and an eight-roomed home at Bridge of Weir, both Renfrewshire.