Rangers hero clamps bold Mohamed Diomande claim as doubting voice wonders what all the hype is about

Former Rangers star Derek Ferguson has offered a firm rebuttal after Kevin Kyle cast doubt over what Ibrox favourite Mohamed Diomande offers.

The all-action midfielder earned plaudits for his display in the Scottish Cup Final defeat to Celtic and will seal a £4.5million permanent switch after his impressive initial six-month loan from Nordsjælland. The 22-year-old is viewed as a pivotal building block for Philippe Clement ahead of his major Ibrox rebuild. But clearly Kyle is unimpressed after he offered a withering take on Diomande despite other leading pundits and punters in agreement over his talent.

Kyle – speaking on Open Goal – said: "Diomande, for me, I don't see what he is bringing to the table. I didn't think he did a lot on Saturday that affected the game. He ran about a lot." But that wasn't a view shared by fellow panelists Simon Ferry, Paul Slane and Derek Ferguson. And it was former Rangers star Ferguson who was first to his defence, stating; "I like Diomande, I think he offers a lot in that midfield area.

"I could see how you could play him in different positions. He could sit in there, go from box to box, I think you can use him in different ways."

Diomande is expected to be a key player in a revamped midfield next season. John Lundstram and Ryan Jack are free agents as Clement guaranteed major changes are afoot.