Rangers’ striking sensation Hamza Igamane has set himself not one, not two but three New Years’ resolutions.
Fortunately for Philippe Clement, and the Ibrox faithful who have grown accustomed to his mind-melting skills and thumping finishes, none of those resolutions appear to involve an early departure from the blue corner of Glasgow.
Igamane is on the radars of Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, to name but two. That is to be expected, really, following a run of 12 goals in 16 games in a Rangers shirt.
And isn’t this what the Gers wanted when they took a £1.7 million punt on a little-known centre-forward plugging away in Morocco? That Hamza Igamane would explode on Scottish soil a la Alfredo Morelos in 2017, becoming a prolific provider of goals while shifting the decimal point one place to the right on his price-tag?
Well, yes. But, also, the sheer pace of Igamane’s ascent has left Rangers with a potential problem as more deep-pocketed clubs from south of the border sniff around.
Rangers star Hamza Igamane sets out his three big aims for 2025
Speaking to French magazine Onze Mondial, however, Igamane said nothing about a change of scenery when asked to spell out his ambitions for 2025.
Then again, should he speed up his already staggering progress, as Igamane hopes to do, then interest from Europe’s major leagues is pretty much an inevitability.
“[I want] to maintain the pace of development, [and] to provide evidence that I do not stop working because I have not reached the position I want for myself,” Igamane explains. “I [also] hope to quickly reach the den of the Atlas Lions, and have the honour of defending the colours of my country.”
Igamane is expected to earn his first Morocco call-up during the next set of international fixtures in March.
“I would be lying to you if I told you that I am not thinking about the Moroccan national team,” the striker admits. “Do I think about the national team? Yes, but I still have a lot of time to work and convince the national coach [Walid Regragui] that I deserve the opportunity.
“Playing in the CAN [the African Cup of Nations] and even the World Cup is not out of the question.”
If he’s being particularly picky, Rangers legend Barry Ferguson thinks Hamza Igamane could still improve with regards to his positioning inside the penalty area. He is not quite an out-and-out number nine, often preferring to drop deep and allow runners in behind a la Harry Kane or, to a lesser extent, Joshua Zirkzee at Manchester United.
Igamane ‘happy’ in Scotland but desperate to develop under Philippe Clement
“It is usually difficult for a person to talk about himself!,” Igamane adds with a self-depricating laugh. “It is true that I have my own characteristics and qualities and also my faults, but I am still far from the best levels that I can offer.
“I must continue working. Nothing compensates for continuous work. In this way, I can overcome my faults. What motivates me a lot is my awareness that I have a large margin for development, so I must work and continue to work hard and diligently, and then I will see where this will take me.”
Where this will take him, somewhere down the line, is away from Ibrox.
Philippe Clement is ‘confident’ Igamane will leave Rangers for one of Europe’s premiere clubs at some point. The all-action 22-year-old with a penchant for the spectacular is in no rush, however, having signed a five-year deal only last summer.
“To be honest, I am happy here in Scotland,” Igamane smiles. “Here, I do not need anything. Everything I need is available. I would like to thank the Rangers club officials because they put me in ideal conditions so that I can focus only on football and my achievements on the pitch.
“Believe me, I do not feel like a stranger here, despite my distance from Morocco.
“I am a central striker, this is clear, but I can adapt to different shapes and playing styles whenever I am asked to do so. Generally, I can play on the right wing or the left wing, but I always prefer to play centrally because my goal is always to score.
“I think this is very normal for the striker.”
That is the only ‘normal’ thing about Hamza Igamane’s remarkable emergence in the blue of Rangers.
