Rangers’ rising star Mohamed Diomande shed light on the pivotal role Rangers manager Philippe Clement played in convincing him to make the move to Ibrox. The talented 23-year-old midfielder, who made a promising debut in January after transferring from FC Nordsjælland in Denmark, has quickly become a standout performer for the Scottish club, scoring in his first two starts.
In an exclusive conversation ahead of the clash with Kilmarnock, Mohamed Diomande opened up about the transfer process and shared nostalgic memories of himself as a young football enthusiast donning the Rangers jersey. Diomande revealed that his connection with the club dates back to his early years in the Ivory Coast when an English scout named Joe Mulberry discovered his talents in Abidjan and gifted him an Ibrox jersey.
Reflecting on his decision to choose Rangers, Diomande expressed, “I think it was the best place for me to come. 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 top manager.”
Diomande continued, “I’ve known Rangers for a very long time, so I know it’s the best club in the world, so aye, why not?”
Discussing the sentimental value of the Rangers jersey, Diomande shared, “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.”
The Ivorian midfielder emphasized the profound impact of his early connection with Rangers, stating, “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.”