Hibs striker Florian Kamberi keen to stay at Rangers 'for the long term'

On-loan forward desperate to extend Ibrox stay

Florian Kamberi has indicated his desire to stay at Rangers beyond his current loan spell

Hibs striker Florian Kamberi has revealed his hopes of staying at Rangers when his loan spell expires.

The 24-year-old joined the Ibrox side on loan in January with Light Blues midfielder Greg Docherty joining the Easter Road side on a similar deal, but he infuriated the Hibee faithful by describing the switch as a “dream move” in an interview with Rangers TV shortly after the transfer was confirmed.

Long-term hopes

In a wide-ranging interview with Swiss publication Sonntags Blick, the former Grasshoppers striker admitted he has his heart set on a lengthy stint in Glasgow, as he hailed manager Steven Gerrard and the club’s fanbase.

He said: “Rangers is an incredible club. When I moved to Scotland two years ago, my second game [for Hibs] was against Rangers and since then I have dreamed of playing for them.

“Steven Gerrard told me that he had been scouting me for a year and a half. He really is a big fan of mine. I have huge respect for him – he had a world class career so you take on board everything he says.

“I definitely want to stay here long term. Playing in front of 50,000 fans every other week is great."

Old Firm frustration

Before football was suspended indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Rangers had been due to host rivals Celtic at Ibrox, with Kamberi expecting to play a part.

He added: “It would have been the biggest game of my career, and I think I would have played in my first Old Firm game from the start.

“Obviously the postponement is frustrating but there are more important things than football right now.”

What next for Kamberi?

The Swiss-born player has 12 months remaining on his Easter Road deal but Hibs head coach Jack Ross has already conceded that it would be “challenging” for Kamberi to return to the club in the wake of his “unusual” comments after joining Rangers on loan.

There is no option for the Ibrox side to buy the player as part of the arrangement but the suspension of the season also poses problems – clubs with loan players on their books will likely have to look at extending the deals if the campaign is resumed later this year, but a lot hinges on when the season starts up again.

Either way, Kamberi has made it clear he sees his future at Ibrox having settled into life under Gerrard.