HAMZA IGAMANE has explained why he chose France as his next destination after forcing through his Rangers exit.
The Moroccan sensation, 22, quit Rangers to seal a £10.4million move to Lille after deciding to call it a day at Ibrox with a controversial move in Paisley.
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Igamane refused to come on against St Mirren on August 24 after Russell Martin called on him from the bench when Gers were trailing.
The striker claimed he was injured and left the manager furious, only for him to score TWICE on his debut for Lille just days later.
It all worked out perfectly for Igamane, while Rangers landed two new strikers before the end of the window to replace him and Cyriel Dessers.
He’s currently with the Morocco national team ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Niger and Zambia this week.
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And speaking to the media over in his homeland, Igamane showed his appreciation to his fans back home for supporting him throughout his development and recent rise, which sees him start a new chapter in Ligue 1.
It was a transfer saga that Gers boss Martin could have done without, but Igamane believes the move came “under the best possible conditions”.
Lille had been tracking him for a number of months and Igamane always knew that’s where he wanted to play his football after leaving Rangers.
He believes Ligue 1 will provide the pathway he needs to take the next step in his career – because it’s a league “renowned for helping young players progress”.
He said: “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.
“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.”
Igamane scored 16 goals in 49 appearances for the Light Blues.
And despite his antics at the end of his stint, Rangers still managed to make an impressive profit on the striker.
The Ibrox club signed him from AS FAR for £1.7million just last summer and they made around £9m in profit after Lille met his release clause at the end of the window.
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