The recently departed striker has broken his silence since his move away from Ibrox.
Hamza Igamane has spoken out for the first time following his transfer away from Rangers.
The Moroccan secured a highly speculated move away from Ibrox last week as the Light Blues agreed a £10.4 million sale to Lille. He had been linked with the French club for the majority of the summer window.
Igamane divided both fans and professionals alike in the lead up to his move out of Glasgow. The forward stirred up controversy when he didn’t play against St Mirren, despite being called upon from the bench by Russell Martin.
Hamza Igamane injury controversy at Rangers
Rangers drew 1-1 with St Mirren last month after the opposition took the lead in the first half. Martin revealed after the match in Paisley that he had called upon Igamane to operate with two strikers up front, but the player refused to come on, due to being ‘injured’.
“We had a bid this week for Hamza, we rejected it. All was fine. Trained fine yesterday [Saturday], warmed up fine. I turned around to him at 60 minutes because I wanted two strikers on the pitch. Hamza told me he was injured,” Martin told Sky Sports after the match.
Ahead of Rangers’ clash with Club Brugge, the manager also admitted the club expected Igamane ‘wouldn’t be a Rangers player any more’ and he expected him to pass a medical at Lille when quizzed on whether the player was carrying an injury.
“It’s not a surprise to me, and it’s not the player’s fault. It’s really not. It’s really difficult for a young man, that doesn’t speak the language, that’s being told, ‘don’t worry, your future’s going to be elsewhere,’” Martin continued.
“And then I’m asking him to be all in and do this and this is what we need from you and all that stuff. It’s so difficult. I don’t take it personally.”
Hamza Igamane breaks silence following Rangers exit
Igamane has hit the ground running at Lille, making an immediate impact with his new club. The 22-year-old came off the bench in the second half against Lorient to mark his debut and scored a brace for good measure. His double as a substitute contributed to the hefty 7-1 winning scoreline for Lille.
The striker has since spoken about his move and how it has been the ‘best possible transfer’ for him.
“First of all, thank God, I managed to make a good transfer. I am very happy that my transfer has come to fruition under the best possible conditions,” Igamane said (via Rangers Review).
“I joined a French club that helps young talents to develop, so that they can be in the best environment. I have joined Ligue 1, a championship renowned for helping young players progress and give the best of themselves.
“I thank the Moroccan supporters and my teammates in the national team. They have supported me a lot in this important stage of my career.”
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