Mohamed Diomande claims Philippe Clement might’ve convinced him to choose Rangers but it’s clear the club has been his heart since his time in the Ivory Coast.
The talented midfielder, 23, has made a bright impression following a January move from FC Nordsjælland in Denmark, scoring on his first two starts for the club.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement has waxed lyrical about the Right to Dream Academy graduate this week, tipping Diomande for the very top of the game if luck stays on his side.
Now, the midfielder has been discussing the transfer to Ibrox and those pictures of himself as a youngster in a Rangers jersey.
Mohammed Diomande: “Rangers the best club in the world”
Mohammed Diomande has been talking candidly about the deal in the run-up to the match against Kilmarnock, highlighting the Rangers manager’s influence in persuading him that Ibrox was where his career belonged.
The midfielder also claims that his love affair with Rangers started at a young age when an English scout handed him an Ibrox jersey after discovering Diomande’s talents in Abidjan.
It’s led to a lifelong affiliation with Rangers and as a result, Mohamed Diomande has branded the Gers as “the best club in the world”.
“I think it was the best place for me to come,” said Diomande, when asked why he chose Rangers. “The manager really gave me a good feeling.
“He was just convincing me. He told me he knows how good I am and what I can bring to the team and that’s something I wanted to hear from a manager. A top manager also.
“I’ve had calls from different clubs but I really needed something to boost myself and decided to come.
“I’ve known Rangers for a very long time so I know it’s the best club in the world, so aye, why not?”
When asked about the Rangers jersey: “The guy who scouted me from Ivory Coast when I was 11, he’s called Joe Mulberry from England. He scouted me from Abidjan and he got me the shirt from Rangers so I’ve been wearing that for some personal training in Ghana when I was in the Academy.
“I’ve been following Rangers a lot and I’ve seen what they have achieved. I would say (the fact I had a shirt) was also one of the key moments which made the deal happen, because I felt that I was in love with the club already from a young age.”
Ivorian midfielder earns Ibrox Right to Dream
Rangers signed a loan-to-buy deal for Mohamed Diomande in the January window with the club to complete the £4.5m transfer in the summer.
That fee could soon prove an absolute snip for the Gers with the Ivorian settling into life in Glasgow very quickly and we’re sure there will be scouts aplenty keeping an eye on his progress.
It’s clear Rangers hope to flip Mohamed Diomande for a big profit in the coming seasons but for now the Gers will just enjoy the Ivory Coast hopeful’s development at the club.
At the moment, Rangers and Mohamed Diomande seem like a match made in heaven, and it seems unlikely that their romance will alter much over the next years.
Similar to little boys and girls wearing Rangers jerseys when strolling through Glasgow as children, there is a certain lyrical quality to this Ivorian bluenose boy growing up and realising his dream at Ibrox.
It’s not as though he should end there.
Could the Ivory Coast player ultimately unseat a Barcelona and Manchester City icon now that Mohamed Diomande is the clear favourite to win the game?
