RANGERS legend Nacho Novo has told how police guarded his house because the IRA wanted him dead.
The ex-Gers star, 40, said he was warned his life was in danger just weeks after joining Belfast club Glentoran in 2016.
Mr Novo said: "Police detained me in the house for a week because the IRA wanted to come and shoot me."
The Spaniard, who left the club in May, 2017, said police were forced to protect him outside his home for a week after the threat.
Asked if it affected him, the Mr Novo told the Scottish Sun: "One part, yeah. You always have a fear.
"You’re always looking and thinking about what could happen.
“I’m not scared about no one, it’s just simple. I grew up in a hard place, I always looked after myself. I’m not even bothered with that.
“If something is going to happen, it happens. That’s how you need to deal with it.”
At the time, the footballer was praised by club officials for continuing to play in the wake of the threat.
Chairman Stephen Henderson said he’d shown a “very deep sense of character” in turning out despite his “unnecessary and unacceptable ordeal”.
Earlier this week, Celtic launched a probe after Mr Novo took aim at a vicious troll who taunted ex-Rangers star Fernando Ricksen over his battle with motor neurone disease.
The troll wrote: "Fernando Ricksen's a goner soon canny f***ing wait, hurry up and die ya b**tard."
Mr Novo called for Celtic, who are probing the incident, to ban the culprit.
He fumed: "I’m absolutely disgusted that wee p**ck can speak about someone who can’t defend himself."
Last week a boy of 15 was charged and banned from Ibrox in connection with a jibe aimed at Celtic star Scott Brown about his sister Fiona’s death in 2008.
Mr Novo remarked: "I hope the media put this comment in the papers because when a comment was said to Scott Brown about his sister it was front page news so I hope Celtic do the same with that wee b**tard and ban him for life."
In a statement Celtic said: "We will fully investigate this matter and of course take all appropriate action."
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