Muslims around the world are today celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the 30-day fast between dawn and sunset.
‘Eid al-Fitr’ means ‘the festival of breaking the fast' and is one of two major holidays in the Islamic calendar.
Speaking to RangersTV alongside Men’s first-team midfielder Mohamed Diomande to celebrate the end of Ramadan, Lovelace commented: “It’s good when people come and ask me questions when I’m fasting.
“It’s the same for myself with other religions; I often go and ask questions to learn and understand different cultures.
“The club have been good. They always give me food to take home, some fruits, and they look after me well.”
The timing of Ramadan is far from ideal for professional athletes, but during the holy month, Muslim athletes around the world adjust their schedules to maximise their sporting performance.
There will often be a break in fast during evening matches in the spring, but the flipside is that athletes are often forced to awake before sunrise to consume food and water to sustain their daily activities.
Lovelace added: “It’s quite hard because your throat can go all dry. However, you just need to drink quite a lot when you can, and eat enough to sustain you for the game when you awake at 4am in the morning.
“I’ll try get some protein on board, like chicken, pasta, rice and vegetables, then perhaps a protein shake on the side.
“I would say not being able to eat [is the most difficult aspect]. Also waking up in the morning before sunrise, trying to eat, get back to sleep, and wake back up again can be difficult.
“I look at it as an opportunity to get closer to God, and I know I’m doing it for my religion, but at the same time you’re like ‘I can’t eat between these certain times’ so it can be difficult. But at the same time it’s a month to enjoy.”