Amid the turbulence of their 2024/25 season, as Ibrox giants Glasgow Rangers trail 13 points behind rivals Celtic, the emergence of Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane brings brighter news. The 22-year-old, who should play for his team at Old Trafford in Thursday’s Europa League match against Manchester United, is the most in-form forward in the Scottish Premier League.
Signed from Moroccan side FAR Rabat last July, Igamane didn’t score a single league goal until December 4. He’s hit nine since. He’s also scored four in the Europa League since then; a goal against FCSB at the end of October with two in a 4-1 away win at Nice and one in a home draw against Tottenham Hotspur, which means Rangers sit in eighth place.
Hold that position in their next two games against United and Union Saint-Gilloise and Rangers go straight to the last 16. Like United, Rangers thrive against better sides who leave more space for counterattacks.
On January 5, Igamane scored a complete hat-trick – with his left and right feet and a header – in the 3-3 draw at Hibernian. That came after a surprise 3-0 victory against runway leaders Celtic on January 2.
Rangers have picked up more points than Celtic in 2025, but the gap – 13 points – appears insurmountable, and losing the Scottish League Cup final last month to Celtic 8-7 on penalties hardly helped.
Rangers have been strong at home but weaker away – except in the Europa League, where they have won two and drawn one of their three away games so far. Thursday at Old Trafford presents a big challenge for the team which reached the Europa League final in 2022, but European football has given respite from watching Celtic disappear into the distance.
Some Rangers fans walked out of Ibrox during the recent home win over St Johnstone in protest, but the form of Igamane hasn’t faltered and he is a major reason why manager Philippe Clement has stayed in a job.
This was not expected when Igamane signed for a reported £2.5 million. His move was low key, his recruitment portrayed as a bright prospect for the future, but also came with criticism.
“He slipped in under the radar because it was made clear that he was one for the future,” explains Michael Grant who covers Scottish football for The Times. “The fans were maybe thinking beyond him and looking at the signings who could make a difference immediately.”
There were other issues. Igamane arrived in Glasgow undercooked for the physical demands of Scottish football, and manager Clement said: “We have some players who have come in who are longer term, like Clinton Nsiala. He has a lot of talent, but he needs the experience and he needs to learn a lot of things. I don’t expect him to be a starting player. The same with Hamza Igamane. He will not be ready to start. He’s never trained or played physically at this level. He comes out of a holiday too, so we need to build him up.”
This drew the ire of some fans who couldn’t understand why a player who wasn’t ready to play had been signed.
Igamane did eventually play, though, making his debut as a substitute at Celtic away. It got lost in a 3-0 defeat, but some Rangers fans were impressed by what they had seen in the 10-minute cameo. He started a league game later in September, though the goals took until December to arrive.
“Rangers fans are quick to embrace a young player who is a potential hero or saviour,” says Grant. “They were chanting his name quickly and he looks very impressive. He’s physically strong, he can cope with defenders and win duels. He’s got a good range of finishing and scores with both feet and headers. He’s exciting and an enticing prospect, he’s got good feet and can dribble. It will be good to see him against better defenders.”
Grant also points out that Rangers have received criticism for not being able to develop players that they can sell for big money. “Celtic do it routinely. Rangers either hold onto players too long or sign poorly in the first place.”
There are few quality strikers available in the market and Igamane has already been linked with a move away from Ibrox, though new Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart, who moved to Ibrox after leaving Manchester United in the autumn, said last week: “We don’t want to sell Hamza in January. We want him to be here for the second part of the season, I’ll be very clear on that. I think I would be told it was irresponsible if we sold a player. There’s always a balance, but January is not typically a window in which those sorts of transactions take place.
“We’re always, as a board, going to be looking at the long-term and striking a balance. That’s our duty, but Hamza’s come into the team and started scoring, and we want him to be here … as I’m sure all the supporters do as well.”
Igamane had played his part in FAR Rabat ending a 15-year title drought to become Moroccan champions in 2023. They were on track to retain that title in 2024 before finishing second. He only scored seven times that season – and three of those were against city rivals FUS Rabat - so Igamane was hardly prolific, but his versatility meant he was often deployed in different positions across the front line.
Yet to make his full Morocco debut, he has excelled for his country’s under 23 side, is scoring freely and has replaced Cyriel Dessers as Rangers’ No 1 striker.
“He’s hitting the back of the net just now but it’s too early to tell if it’s a streak or if he’s a real striker,” says one observer.
“He’s got loads of skill and he’s difficult to knock off the ball. He’s raw but good, skilful – street footballer type of skill. Bags of confidence, too.”
Positive words, especially coming from a rival Celtic fan who’d rather not be named praising a Rangers player. Old Trafford will be another important test for an exciting forward in form.
