He came on as a 66th-minute substitute in a league match against his former employers Dundee.
Novo netted two goals in as many minutes which helped Rangers to a 2–0 victory, after which he was a regular in the side.
1979
Ignacio Javier Gómez Novo (born 26 March 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Novo was an assistant coach and served as the interim head coach for the final 5 matches of the 2023 season for USL League One side Lexington SC, as well as the head coach for the club's U23 team.
2001
He transferred from Huesca to Scottish club Raith Rovers in 2001 and Dundee a year later.
Novo joined Raith Rovers from Huesca in July 2001.
He made a scoring debut against Airdrieonians on 4 August, and netted the winner during a Challenge Cup match against Alloa Athletic three days later.
Novo saw himself sent off in only his third match for Raith, whilst playing against Partick Thistle.
Despite this setback he went on to score consistently in the Scottish First Division, netting doubles against St Mirren and twice against Falkirk.
Novo accumulated a total of 22 goals in 38 appearances during his first season in Scotland.
2002
His goal scoring record attracted the attention of Scottish Premier League club Dundee who signed him for £100,000 in July 2002.
He made his Scottish Premier League debut on 3 August 2002 in a 1–1 draw with Hearts.
Novo scored his first and second goals for the club against Dunfermline Athletic on 17 August but was sent-off in the dying moments of the match for raising his foot at Pars defender Scott Wilson.
He went on to score a further seven goals to end the season with a tally of nine.
His second season saw Novo return to form, scoring four goals in the UEFA Cup, including one against then Serie A outfit Perugia, helped him to an end of season tally of 25.
This form attracted the interest of several clubs including Celtic and Rangers.
Celtic had a £500,000 bid accepted but failed to agree terms the player, stating Novo didn't have the "necessary level of commitment" during signing talks.
2004
In July 2004, he moved to Rangers for £450,000.
During his first season at the club he scored 25 goals and won a league and League Cup double.
Novo signed for Rangers on 6 July 2004 for a reported fee of £450,000.
He was allocated the number 10 shirt that had been vacated by Michael Mols.
In his first season at the club he scored 25 goals, including the goal against Hibernian that won Rangers the league title.
He made his debut for Rangers in a Scottish Premier League match away to Aberdeen on 7 August 2004.
His first goal came in his second appearance, netting in Rangers' 2–1 loss to Russian side CSKA Moscow on 10 August.
Following his first goal, Novo failed to score in his next eight appearances and he was dropped from the starting eleven.
2005
At the start of the 2005–06 season, Novo broke his fifth metatarsal, which ruled him out for several months.
Upon his return from injury he failed to score in the twenty matches he played the rest of that season, being deployed more as a winger than a striker due to the form of Kris Boyd.
His three goals had come against Celtic, Falkirk and Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta.
With the departure of Alex McLeish and the arrival of Frenchman Paul Le Guen, Novo looked set to leave Rangers.
However, a proposed transfer to English First Division club Coventry City fell through on transfer deadline day.
Novo initially found his appearances sporadic, featuring in the first game of the season then waiting seven weeks for his second but after a mixture of poor results, injuries and his good performances for the reserves Novo returned to the first team.
2006
His first goal of that season, and in over a year, was during a 3–2 UEFA Cup win over Livorno on 19 October 2006.
The following match, Novo came off the bench to score a late winner against St Mirren in a 3–2 win.
He then started the next game, Motherwell held Rangers to a 1–1 draw with Novo named Man of the Match.
His rejuvenated form continued with goals against Heart of Midlothian, Maccabi Haifa and AJ Auxerre.
Novo continued to be a regular when Le Guen was replaced with Walter Smith.
2008
He had to wait four years before lifting the league championship again in the 2008–09 season, where he also scored the winning goal in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final which won him his second double with the Ibrox club.
Following his time at Rangers, he had several short spells at clubs in Spain, Poland, Scotland, England, the United States and Northern Ireland.
Novo was born in Ferrol, Galicia.
His father, Ricardo Gómez Varela, was a centre half known as Richard who spent one year at Real Betis.
