Rangers manager Phillipe Clement told Hamza Igamane his first European start “was not an exam”.
If it was, the 22-year-old striker would have got a very decent mark.
After two goals and an assist in the stunning 4-1 Europa League win in Nice, the Moroccan – who led the line in preference to Cyriel Dessers – earned plenty praise from pundits, players and his manager.
With Danilo available domestically, too, Clement said Igamane is “in competition” with the pair for the solo striker spot in the side.
The winner, he said, will be “whoever is in the best shape”.
After his performance in France, is Igamane the man to lead the line for Rangers?
When the Rangers line-up graphic dropped, eyes were drawn to Igamane’s name.
Clement said he’s been making “good steps” in training, which merited his start.
And given the Ibrox side’s domestic strife doesn’t seem to travel abroad, this turned out to be the perfect environment to set Igamane free.
Igamane stuttered at his first sight of goal, but he soon showed his endeavour and energy to get in and among the goals.
His power and precision set up Vaclav Cerny’s opener, while his own razor-sharp instincts were applied to capitalise on comical Nice defending for the third.
For his second – and Rangers’ fourth – he showed incredible confidence and composure to stretch, steal, nutmeg and slot home.
Former Rangers striker Steven Thompson called it a “wonderful goal” on Sportsound, adding “you’ve got to give Igamane so much credit. Unbelievable composure and accuracy from him”.
In stark comparison, when substitute Dessers inexplicably missed from five yards out later in the game, the Sportsound pundit was reduced to an “oh dear,” while colleague Neil McCann said he “felt sorry” for the striker.
While the excitement around Igamane’s performance was justified – and is perhaps needed around Ibrox just now – there has to be a caveat. He was up against a disastrous Nice defence.
If this was an exam, the Ligue 1 side would have failed miserably.
“Igamane can expect a lot tougher games,” Thompson added. “But while he is not going to run channels or win flick-ons, he takes the ball really well on his chest.”
His pressing and winning of duels was cited by Clement as another reason behind the powerful forward’s inclusion in the XI.
Those qualities should transfer to playing against packed defences in the Scottish Premiership, but Igamane has so far only had 203 minutes of top-flight football.
Among that, he has shown flashes of finesse but nothing as complete as the performance in Nice to make his case to start ahead of Dessers and Danilo.
And his manager confirmed his youth is no barrier.
“I want to see the hunger and desire to become better, then I’ll give chances to young players,” Clement added. “I don’t mind their age, it’s about how they perform in training and games.”
Igamane’s game was not worthy of an A+, but there was plenty potential, fight and fire. Something which has not often been said about Rangers this season.
Rangers fans, what do you make of Igamane’s impact? And what about the win in Nice?
Let us know here, external
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