Rangers on verge of signing amid emotional farewell as Celtic hero acts as mentor to son in Hoops academy
Rangers are edging closer to a fifth summer signing as a former Celtic star makes a venture into coaching
Rangers-bound forward Hamza Igamane has sent a heartfelt message to his club FAR Rabat in Morocco as he closes in on an exciting move to Glasgow.
Posting on social media, the 21-year-old wrote: "My success comes only through Allah. In Him I trust and Him I turn.
"After an incredible journey with ASFAR, which has shaped me into who I am today, it's time to bid farewell and embark a new challenge. I've had the honour of achieving two titles with the club I deeply love.
"I'm forever grateful to the committee represented by President Mohamed Haramou, and Vice President Al-Ayoubi, to all the Askaries, team-mates, coaches, staff, and everyone who has influenced my career in any way.
"The leader will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for everything."
Igamane is expected to sign for Rangers in a deal in the region of £2m to £2.5m. The Morrocan U23 international is seen as an exciting talent in the game and he has so far registered 16 goals and eight assists in 58 matches at club level.
Given Igmane’s tender age and the league he is coming from it is unlikely that the forward will go straight into the starting line-up at the start of the Premiership season and it is anticipated that Philippe Clement will slowly integrate the player into the team throughout pre-season.
The youngsters arrival would mark Rangers’ fifth summer signing after successful moves for long-term target Jefte, Connor Barron, Liam Kelly, Clinton Nsiala and a permanent move for Mohamed Diomande, who initially joined the Ibrox club on a loan deal in January.
Rangers are chasing their first league title since 2021 in Clement’s first full season in the dugout and will be aware that they need to start quickly this term to achieve success after a lacklustre start under Michael Beale, which ultimately cost him his job.
The Gers open the campaign with a challenging trip to take on last season’s third place side Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday 3 August. Meanwhile, Celtic begin their title defence a day later at home to Kilmarnock, who recorded an impressive fourth place finish last term.
Former Celtic hero vows to pass on his experience as son joins Hoops academy
Last month, former Celtic and Scotland defender Charlie Mulgrew took his first steps into coaching as the Under-18s boss at Hamilton.
The defender, who won five Scottish Premiership titles and two Scottish Cups, is determined to pass on his experience to the next generation as he forges a career in coaching.
Mulgrew is used to the pressures of competing at the highest level and claims that he can help youngsters on their journey, particularly when they are feeling nervous.
Reflecting on his own experiences, he told Daily Record that meal times before games were often when the nerves could be most felt amongst himself and his team mates.
He explained: “You live your life with everybody judging you and, if you lose, it’s a nightmare until the next game, then you can win and relax again. Did I used to panic before games? Of course. If you aren’t nervous before a game there’s something wrong with you. It’s human nature. I was never a spewer, no. If I’m spewing, I’m steaming!
But I’m telling you it’s not spoken about enough. I’ll tell you what the tell-tale sign is. In the winter, you wake up in a hotel for an away game. Someone tells you, and this has happened to every football player, that the game is off.I n the pre-match meal, the atmosphere goes from nobody saying a word to through the roof because all of a sudden there is a weight off your shoulder and the place is buzzing. It’s like, wow. You go in front of 60,000 fans who are demanding that you win and that are scrutinising every single thing you do.
“But it’s why you are a Celtic player, and why, when you win, you get that buzz. When you don’t... you get that other side of it. It doesn’t get spoken about enough in football but it’s hard. What I’m saying is that there is a lot of fear but there is nowhere else you would rather be.
“That’s true, because you wouldn’t. That doesn’t mean that it’s not hard. Anything worth having in life, it’s hard, but it’s still amazing. For example, getting beat off Rangers to lose the league on the last day is a complete low, and it’s horrendous.”
He went on to reflect fondly on the team's achievements last term: “You’ve had all the nerves and the fear in the build-up and that has happened. To then win the double in the season there when Adam Idah scored in the last minute in the cup final, those are the highs that you live for and there are a lot of them at Celtic.”
Mulgrew also revealed that his son, Joshua, has just begun his journey in the Hoops academy, but admits it is tough to gauge whether he will make it in the professional game, adding that resilience will be key if he is to be successful.
He said: “My wee boy has now gone full-time with Celtic and people ask me if he has a chance. Can you get inside his head? Because I don’t know what he’s thinking.
“I know what I was thinking. I know I had a lot of doubts and fears and a lot of resilience and, if I could give any young boy anything, it would be resilience. Can you go through the lows? Because there will be plenty of them.
“Some of them are really low. Some of them are as little as getting dropped from the 18s team or the 21s. You could be training with the first team, have a nightmare and then the next day you aren’t training with them.
“There are so many lows and it is about how you can bounce back from them. You could be released from Celtic like me, go to Wolves, get released, then go to Aberdeen, play well and get back to Celtic. All of a sudden you’re thinking: ‘Hold on a minute, how am I back here?’ It’s just mad and I suppose that is life as well. It’s who can get up from the downs and that is resilience for me.”
Mulgrew adds that he has a strong passion for coaching and management, and wants to share his experiences with the next generation. He added: “I’ve got a strong passion for the coaching and management side that I want to pass experience, that knowledge and emotional intelligence on to players, and let them understand that I know what they are going through, and let them play with freedom within a structure and how I see the game.”