HAMZA IGAMANE is on the verge of signing for Rangers – and one man with links to both Scotland and the striker’s home land of Morocco has provided some inside information on the type of player he is.
SunSport exclusively revealed over the weekend how the Ibrox club were launching a bid for the rising star, who is rated at around £1.5m.
2
2
The 21-year-old has caught the eye with his displays for Moroccan top division side FAR Rabat (the team is known as the Military and the translated abbreviation is Royal Armed Forces).
He can play as a winger as well as a striker and scored seven times in 20 games for his club last season.
Igamane is being tipped to make the step up to the full Morocco international squad soon after establishing himself as a key player for the Under-23s.
Former coach of the country’s Under-23 team, Mark Wotte – the same man who was the SFA’s performance director for five years – has revealed there is a buzz about Igamane in Morocco as his talent grows.
Read more Rangers stories
He has also outlined what the youngster could bring to the Premiership if he indeed signs for Philippe Clement’s side.
Wotte told the Daily Record: “The young players in Morocco are very instinctive in the way they play.
“There is a lot of young talent but most of them look to move abroad as soon as they get the chance.
“Hamza was a little younger when I was there so I wasn’t too aware of him but there is a lot of talk about him.
“He’s playing at a good club as they have been strong in the last couple of seasons. Hamza has also been part of the Under-23s and Olympic team so it’s clear he has talent, and a lot of potential.”
Dutchman Wotte, 63, admits the challenge for Igamane will be adapting to the physical and intense nature of the Scottish Premiership.
But he insists he has the mindset to emulate some of his countrymen, who produced a stunning performance at the 2022 World Cup to reach the semi-finals.
Wotte said: “The big thing for him will be adapting to Scottish football. It’s an entirely different environment.
“I’d say the Moroccan top division is perhaps on the same level as the Premiership’s bottom six.
“Some big teams play in front of large, passionate crowds and smaller clubs who maybe have 1000 fans each week. It will be a step up playing at Ibrox in front of 60,000.
“There is clearly a lot of talent in the country. Look at the team that got to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar. A lot of that side were with me in the Under-23s and it was incredible seeing them step up on that stage.
“Most of those players play for clubs outside Morocco and it will be good for Hamza’s development to perform at a big club like Rangers.
“It’s not an easy move to make. It’s a very different style of football than he is used to, it can be fast and furious. But Hamza is young and will be keen to learn. It’s an exciting move for him.”
New YouTube channel
Subscribe to our new Scottish Sun Sport YouTube channel for all the latest football news, views and videos as Scotland heads to the Euros.
Watch our daily GoBallistic podcast with Roger Hannah and our SunSport team in Germany as the Tartan Army marches on Munich in search of glory.
Subscribe now and don’t miss a moment. Herr we go!
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page