Diego Maradona HOSPITALIZED in Argentina with ANEMIA and EXTREME FATIGUE just days after icon had celebrated his 60th birthday

Legendary striker Diego Maradona was convinced by friends to go to hospital and is undergoing tests to decide how he will be treated for issues including anemia, according to reports claiming that he is feeling "extreme fatigue".

The former Argentina hotshot, who turned 60 on Friday, has entered a clinic in the city of La Plata, near Buenos Aires, CNN has said.

Maradona's personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque, told the outlet that the head coach of local side La Plata had voluntarily attended for a "general check-up" and was not suffering from Covid-19 or respiratory issues.

He spent Monday night at the Ipensa facility after experiencing problems for "several days", according to L'Equipe.

Maradona was identified as being "at risk" from the coronavirus earlier this year and was placed in isolation in March, offering to take a pay cut in order to help the Superliga side deal with the financial effects of the pandemic.

Accolades poured in for the 1986 World Cup winner on his birthday, and former teammate Mauricio Pochettino added his voice to Maradona's admirers on Monday night.

Recalling how he was told that he would be Maradona's roommate while they were at Newell's Old Boys in 1993, former Tottenham coach Pochettino told Sky Sports: "It was a dream come true.

"I was so lucky that the coach said, 'OK, Mauricio, you are going to share a room with Diego.

"The biggest thing is not his talent, but how he is as a human being.

"His human values and principles...people talk about him wrongly because of the image you can get from TV that maybe he doesn't help himself.

"Face to face, in private with his teammates, he was the most special man and one of the most special players that I shared with.

"When he arrived in a room, everybody turned to watch him, to touch him, to talk with him and ask for a picture. You smell his energy and charisma."