MOHAMED DIOMANDE says he has never experienced anything like the welcome he received at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.
The Gers’ January signing was unveiled to the crowd ahead of the 3-0 victory over Livingston, and now he can’t wait to get involved on the pitch with his teammates.
Sitting down for an exclusive first interview since joining the club from FC Nordsjaelland, he said: “I have never experienced anything like that and the fans were amazing, they were happy, and I was so happy to be there. I sent the video to my mum, and she was very happy also.
“I cannot wait to get started. The lads have already done a good job and I am just looking forward to doing something more for them and for the fans. The welcome they gave me was amazing and brilliant and I feel like I am ready to give something back to them.”
The midfielder says it was a dream come true to join Rangers and feels he has settled in well in the early stages.
He continued: “I remember when I came into the dressing room I was shy, but then I said hello to everybody and they were really nice to me so I am happy to be around them, spend some time with them and I cannot wait to play with them soon.
“I have had a lot of help from everybody at the club, they are helping me settle so it is going good at the moment.
“When I first heard Rangers were interested, I was like wow, I know it is a big club and I have heard of it since I was a little kid.
"I told my agent we need to make it happen because I have heard a lot about the club. It is a really ambitious club, so I want to contribute and win some things as a football player.”
Growing-up, Diomande was given a Rangers shirt by a scout who spotted him playing football in the Ivory Coast.
Looking back now, he said he could never have imagined joining the club 13 years later. He continued: “When I got to Ghana, he bought the shirt for me and that's when I started to know about Rangers and my favourite colour was blue, so I was really happy about the shirt.”
On the future at Rangers, he continued: “I think there is still a lot of development to do because I am still only 22, and I feel like I have gained a lot of experience during my time in Denmark and in Ghana.
“When I spoke to the manager, he knew why he wanted me, so I knew it was the right place to be because there are a lot of good young players here. There are also a lot of experienced players, so it is a good environment for me to continue my career and hopefully win a lot of trophies with the team.”
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