Abdallah Sima in Rangers plea to Philippe Clement for Benfica before boss drops hilarious Dujon Sterling one liner

Philippe Clement revealed how Abdallah Sima is desperate to join the Rangers squad on the plan to Lisbon this week - despite still being weeks away from full fitness.

The Ibrox boss shared the tale to highlight the unity in the Light Blues squad during a special live show with Rangers legend Graeme Souness at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow on Sunday evening. Clement revealed ahead of the weekend game against Motherwell that Sima - on loan from Brighton - is set to return the training pitch for the first time since picking up a thigh injury while on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

But ahead of Thursday’s Europa League last-16 first leg tie against Benfica - thumped 5-0 by fierce rivals Porto on Sunday - in Portugal Clement told Souness and the audience: “This morning Abdallah Sima came into my office. He will be out still several weeks - he’s working on his rehab - and he asked ‘Gaffer, can I come with with the team to Lisbon’.

“There is an amazing, amazing atmosphere in the dressing room now. It was not the case four months ago. But it is now. They all want to be there, they all want to be together.

"The new guys who came in also have integrated really fast because of the other boys in the dressing room. There is one coming the evening with Jack (Butland). So we have several really leader types doing the really good things for the club. Everyone in the building - people working in the kitchen, the green keepers, people working in the Academy… they all feel this can be a really amazing season. And we are going to work really hard for it.”

Goalkeeper Butland appeared as a special guest on the night to the delight of the crowd who belted out his new terrace chant to the tune of Status