Mohamed Diomande says Barry Ferguson an inspiration to Rangers players

Mohamed Diomande said interim boss Barry Ferguson is proving an inspirational figure after Rangers concluded a notable week with their first win at Celtic Park in five years.

The Light Blues booked a Europa League quarter-final clash against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Fenerbahçe at Ibrox, after 120 minutes of football ended 3-3 on aggregate.

On Sunday, goals from Nico Raskin and fellow midfielder Diomande gave the visitors a deserved interval lead at Parkhead but the exertions of Europe appeared to kick in after the break as Celtic levelled through Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate.

However, Rangers rallied and in the 88th minute substitute Hamza Igamane fired in a thunderbolt from the edge of the box to snatch a 3-2 win.

Speaking about the influence of former Rangers captain Ferguson, Diomande said: “You can see how amazing it is, he went there and brought the tactics and we got the win and he is really pushing the players and he’s an example that we followed.

“We know all about what he did for Rangers and what he can bring to the club.

“We use him as an example and we try to push on ourselves. I am happy that he is helping us.

“Personally, I’ve seen some videos of him and he’s helping me because he’s the same position as me.

“He was a good player and I’m just happy that he’s giving me the advice that I’m trying to deliver for him on the pitch.”

Diomande admitted Rangers had to dig deep after their Europa League drama to come up with such a thrilling victory in front of around 2,500 away fans at Parkhead, albeit it leaves them 13 points behind William Hill Premiership leaders Celtic and with little chance of overcoming their big rivals.

He said: “We all know this game was important and I’m not going to lie, we were tired but mentally we really pushed ourselves and I’m glad we got the three points.

“Thursday was a tough game also and we were done with that, we were just focused on this game on Sunday.

“Winning that game (Fener) really pushed us and gave us the extra motivation to go there (Celtic) and get the three points.

“It’s a tough place to play and I’m happy to get a win there and I’m sure my team-mates are also, because we have not won there for a long time.

“It means a lot for me and my team-mates and also the people who are watching at home and the fans that came.

“We still have got some games to go and we are just going to try to win every game.”

Diomande revealed there were no over-the-top celebrations in the dressing room afterwards.

He said: “Three points was the most important thing and (in dressing room) it was just chill, cool, and we just move on.

“We know we are still behind by a lot of points and it is just a win, we are happy with that but we are not celebrating like we are winning the league or something like that.”