Arnold Peralta: Ex-Rangers midfielder killed in drive-by shooting

A former Rangers midfielder has been killed in a drive-by shooting in his native Honduras.

Arnold Peralta, 26, who played for the Scottish giants for 18 months, was assassinated in a car park of a shopping centre in La Ceiba on Thursday.

At least one gunman is being hunted and officers said robbery was unlikely to be the motive as Peralta had not had his belongings stolen.

"This is terrible - they killed my exemplary son," his devastated father told a news conference. "I can't say more because of the pain I feel."

Peralta had won 24 caps for his country and played at both the 2014 World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics.

The Honduran Football Association offered their condolences to the player's family in a statement.

The vice-president of Olimpia, the last club Peralta played for, told local station HRN: "We are saddened, dismayed."

Peralta quickly became a popular player among Rangers fans after joining in 2013.

He left the Scottish giants in January to play for Olimpia, the most successful team in Honduras.