Ah, the remarkable tale of Mohamed Diomande, a wee lad born in the Ivory Coast on the 30th of October in 2001. This sprightly 23-year-old midfielder who primarily occupies the centre of the park is currently showing his worth at Rangers. He's a stringbean of a lad, occupying 6 feet (1.83m) of vertical space and tipping the scales at a paltry 11st 11lb (75kg). You'll find his name inscribed on the back of the number 10 jersey, a sign of his preferred position perhaps?
Before he found his way to the Scottish Premiership, our friend Diomandé took his first plunge into professional football with the Right to Dream Academy in the tattered pits of Ghana's First Division. From there, he took wings in January of 2020 to FC Nordsjaelland, a club residing in the silky confines of Denmark's Superliga. The lad didn't waste much time settling in, contributing five appearances in his debut season.
Diomandé's stint with FC Nordsjaelland saw him clocking a steady rise in game time and impact. After making sparse appearances and netting three goals in the 2020 - 2021 season, he graduated to a more prominent role in 2022 - 2023, featured in 32 matches and added five goals to his record.
In the winter of 2024, Diomandé was hoisted from FC Nordsjaelland to Rangers on loan. A successful stint, it seems, because he soon made the move permanent in July 2024 for an eyebrow-raising amount of around £4.3m. In his first season at Rangers, he displayed his full set of skills, securing 13 first-team appearances and contributing two goals. The current season has seen him feature in 18 games and chipping in with one goal.
On a related note, Diomandé also seems to be a footballer with a proclivity for the European tournaments. Having featured in the League Cup 2024 - 2025 for Rangers, he scored once across his two starts and two stints as a substitute. His continental exploits also took him to the Europa League stages during 2023 - 2024 and 2024 - 2025, wherein he managed noteworthy appearances whilst also dabbling in the Champions League Qualifiers 2024 - 2025 for Rangers.
No, our friend Diomandé may never have had the privilege of gracing our beloved Celtic Park in the Hoops, but his story is certainly a one to watch, if only to see if he'll ever measure up to those who've worn the green and white before him.
