Former Arsenal assistant manager Pat Rice has been admitted to hospital as he battles cancer, the club has confirmed.
The Gunners legend, 64, who started out as a player in the north London club's youth team, served under current manager Arsène Wenger from 1996 until his retirement in May 2012.
Earlier in his football career he captained the side to victory over Manchester United in the 1979 FA Cup final.
Fans have flooded Twitter with messages of support for the former Northern Ireland international.
Confirming the news of his illness, an Arsenal spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with Pat and his family. Everyone at Arsenal sends him our best wishes."
In a statement posted on the club's website today, Wenger said he trusted in Rice's "legendary strengths" to pull him through his illness.
He said: "I'm confident he still has the fighting spirit he always had and that he will come out in a successful way.
"His mental state is very determined, very strong as he always has been.
"Not only do we love him but of course we are very grateful for what he has done here. We are in touch with him but I trust his legendary strengths to get over that."
When Rice announced he was retiring last summer, the Arsenal manager described him as a "fighter", saying he had helped him develop his own career in English football.
