Meet Nasser Djiga: born on a nondescript day in 2002, somewhere in Burkina Faso, now aged 23, and standing at an impressive 6ft 1in (1.87m, if metric is your game). He's a fellow who carries a hefty 12 stone 8lb (80kg for those who prefer their weights without the nostalgia), mostly on his chest, defending the honour of Rangers in the rather chillier climate of Scotland.
Djiga's calling card is his skill as a central defender. Whether it's the number 24 on his jersey or his ability to mount a stout defence that drew the Rangers' attention, one can only speculate. We also know he has worn the colours of his native Burkina Faso national football team – a charmingly patriotic detail I must say.
Instead of ploughing through the encyclopaedia of Djiga's career, let's highlight some of his impressive trajectory: He made a mysterious, 'undisclosed fee' move from Vitesse in the Premier League of Burkina Faso to Basel in Switzerland in July 2021 – the stuff of novels, this. It turned out to be a mild flirtation though, as after only six first-team appearances for Basel in his debut season, he transferred to Nîmes in France, on loan.
And what a year that was! Nîmes provided our Djiga with 21 opportunities to parade his defensive prowess. Alas, the call of the Basel wild proved too alluring and our gallant defender headed back to Switzerland in July 2023. Sadly, they say you can never truly go home, and this proved to be the case for Djiga. Despite his valiant efforts on the pitch, he found himself shipped out on loan, this time to the SuperLiga – in Serbia.
After a brief spell, he made a permanent move to Red Star in Serbia, for a fee that would bring a tear to any auctioneer’s eye, rounded to a delightfully neat £2.7m. But the Premier League and the charm of Wolverhampton Wanderers called in 2025, for a staggering £10m. Sadly, after only five first-team appearances, our Djiga found himself once again scanning the horizon for greener pastures, this time, the Premiership platform of Rangers.
In the quaint Scottish football landscape, Djiga seems to have found a measure of acceptance. He has made 12 first-team appearances so far, and has graced the Champion and Europa League qualifiers as well as the World Cup qualifiers for his beloved Burkina Faso. His current market value, for those who may be curious, is around £5m, according to Transfermarkt. So keep your eyes peeled, because the story of Nasser Djiga is far from over.
