‘He was ours once’ – Rangers fans left sad after seeing former star score spectacular strike in Champions League debut

ABDALLAH SIMA held out for as long as he could over a potential return to Rangers.

But when the Gers crashed out of the Champions League he moved to Brest.

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And the Senegalese star showed Gers just what they were missing with a stunning strike on the big stage.

Brighton sent the winger out on loan to the Ligue 1 side citing Champions League football as a contributing factor.

It was only finalised once Rangers were beaten in qualifiers by Dynamo Kyiv – with both Philippe Clement and the player keen to be re-united.

The Ibrox boss once described Sima “like a son”.

But Brighton’s bid to send him to the highest level possible – and the top tier of European football – proved the deciding factor.

Not that the fact makes it any easier for Rangers fans to watch the foe turned fan favourite excel in different coloured shirt.

Sima stuck away the opener on the spin against Sturm Graz – a crucial goal to give the French cracks their first win in the new-look league phase.

Ref Nick Walsh was in charge and former Motherwell kid Max Johnston was in the opposition ranks – but it was Sima who stole the show.

It was his first goal for Stade Brestois to give them their full name – and what a way to do it.

It didn’t escape Gers fans’ notice either.

Some replied with tearful memes or emojis to TNT Sports replays of the goal on social media.

Others simply lamented the loss of a player who smashed 16 goals in 39 games of an injury hit season last term.

Sima first came to Ibrox attention as a player for Slavia Prague in the infamous Europa League clashes in 2021, but he joined Brighton and was loaned first to Angers in France, and then Gers a year ago.

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One Ibrox fan reacted to the goal and forlornly said: “He was ours once.”

Another added: “Tillman last season and now Sima this season, thriving at a higher level after we failed to secure them permanently.

“Failing to win the title & secure CL football the last two seasons has absolutely killed us. It’s some laugh isn’t it?”

And the spectacular shot even caught his old rivals’ fans attention too.

One joked: “Decent player @CelticFC get the chequebook out.”

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