Rangers legends Ally McCoist and Brian Laudrup have both posted touching tributes to Diego Maradona, after the Argentinian football hero passed away yesterday.

Maradona, the midfield linchpin of the Argentina side that won the 1986 World Cup and former national team manager, had successful surgery to remove a blood clot on the brain in a Buenos Aires hospital earlier this month.

His personal physician Dr Leopoldo Luque said the early signs were “favourable”, but it has been reported that Maradona suffered a fatal heart attack at his home on Wednesday.

McCoist paid tribute on Instagram saying: "I was at Hampden as a 16-year-old watching this man score his first international goal as an 18-year-old in a 3-1 Argentina win. And, even then, he was quite unbelievable 👏👏"

"Diego Armando Maradona - a genius with the ball ... very possibly the best ever."

Brian Laudrup posted: "It was an honour to meet this great GREAT player!!! RIP Diego."

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard also weighed-in posting an iconic image of Maradona with the caption "RIP Maradona #10".

Scots tennis ace Andy Murray also told a heartwarming story on Instagram.

He wrote: "I was lucky enough to meet Maradona once at the 02 arena. He had come to watch the tennis there. He spoke to me for a couple of minutes in Spanish with unbelievable energy, passion and expression..unfortunately I barely understood a word but that didn’t seem to matter 😂 he was diminutive in size but clearly a larger than life character/personality with a tonne of charisma.

"The following day I was given a signed Argentina which he left for me that you can see in the 2nd picture which reads..'To my friend Andy with all my love and hope that you soon become #1'

"Número uno were the only words I understood from our conversation🙂"