When Rangers signed Amad Diallo on loan from Manchester United, there was a buzz about Ibrox, one that, probably, hasn’t truly returned since.
The Europa League run to the final was a welcome distraction from domestic woes but the teenage winger, alongside Aaron Ramsey, didn’t live up to their all-star billing.
Amad Diallo fought back to form last season but, the former Rangers loanee has another fight on his hands as he returned to training on grass for the first time since a summer knee injury, as posted on Instagram.
Former Rangers loanee Amad Diallo on his way back
Proving that he was the right player, but at the wrong time, Diallo put his spell at Rangers behind him to star for Sunderland last season.
With 14 goals and four assists in the Championship, the Ivory Coast international posted the sort of numbers that Rangers fans were expecting when he arrived at the club.
A £19m signing in a transfer that could rise to £37 million for Man Utd gave the Light Blues faithful every right to be optimistic.
Rangers desperately needed balance to Ryan Kent, a winger on the opposite side who could score goals and create chances for others, Amad Diallo was the player identified.
It looked as though Ross Wilson had got it spot on after a goal scoring debut against Ross County that also saw his shot saved and rebound tapped in.
An ineffective Old Firm debut in which nobody played well saw Diallo disappear from sight for a while and it was only toward the end of the season that we started to see what he could really do.
Had he been on loan for the whole season, we might have seen more of the player that Sunderland got.
Having missed so much football, Diallo will have some way to go before he can play competitively again and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another short term deal away from Man Utd.
We could do a lot worse…
