Amad Diallo makes goalscoring start to Rangers loan

Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo made an instant impact on his loan debut for Rangers on Saturday, scoring just five minutes into their 3-3 draw with Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

Having previously been close to joining Birmingham and later the subject of interest from Derby and Nottingham Forest, the 19-year-old completed his switch to Ibrox on Thursday and he went straight into the starting lineup for this weekend.

Amad had previously made a big impact on his debut for Manchester United’s Under-23 side with a brace against Liverpool when he first arrived following a £37.5m transfer from Atalanta last January and clearly has an appetite for a 100mph start.

Wearing Rangers’ number nine shirt, the Ivory Coast international raced into the penalty area to turn the ball in at the far post from Joe Aribo’s teasing low cross.

Amad was a threat throughout his 66 minute on the pitch, but was also given rough treatment by Ross County and was on the receiving end of a cynical foul from Jake Volkins at one stage.

Ultimately, Amad’s goal didn’t contribute to a Rangers win. The Scottish champions went 2-1 down before half-time due to defensive mistakes, though had clawed their way back into a narrow lead with just under 20 minutes plus stoppage time to play. But Matthew Wright made it 3-3 in the 96th minute.

The opportunity to play regular first-team football is vital for Amad, who has made nine total senior appearances for United in his first 12 months at the club but just one in the first half of this season.

Upon signing for Rangers on Thursday, he said, “It is fantastic for me at this stage of my career to have the opportunity to come to such a big club that is challenging on a number of fronts and will give me some excellent opportunities to test myself in many environments.”

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