El-Hadji Diouf reveals he's in talks over return to Rangers

Diouf, 30, played 21 games - scoring twice - after moving north on loan from Blackburn Rovers on transfer deadline day in January.

But these bald statistics fail to convey the player's impact, particularly during the turbulent early weeks of his loan spell.

In a series of rancorous Old Firm games, Diouf managed to start a feud with Celtic's Scott Brown, have an altercation with the Parkhead side's physio, earn a post-match red card and defy Strathclyde Police by throwing his jersey into the crowd at Celtic Park.

He subsequently went on to help Rangers win both the League Cup and league championship, albeit that he had to settle for substitute appearances in the last six matches of the season. He was also fined 5,000 by the Scottish Football Association for "misconduct of a significantly serious nature", a charge stemming from his behaviour in the infamous Scottish Cup replay at Parkhead.

His brush with authority seems to have done nothing to dim his enthusiasm for Rangers and the attacking midfielder now wants to prolong his stay, stating: "We are talking right now with the club to see what will happen after this season, but I will tell you now this club is magic, really unbelievable.

"The fans have been great and I have won two trophies and that is why I came here. Before I joined people asked me why I was coming because some people thought I was better than that, but no, I am not, this club is magic and I love the fans and want to thank them for everything."

Diouf was bowled over by the celebrations at Ibrox on Sunday which heralded Rangers' third successive league championship, and the player believes that the feeling is mutual.

"Ibrox was brilliant, an amazing atmosphere and one of the best moments of my career," Diouf told Rangers News.

"My whole time here has been one of the best in my football life. I've only been here for four months, but everyone loves me and I got one of the best receptions from the fans.

"Winning was such a big moment, but not for me, for the fans. That is what football is about, the supporters."

Also joining in the celebrations at Ibrox on Sunday was James Beattie, the misfiring striker who was shipped out on loan to Blackpool on the same day Diouf arrived at Rangers. Beattie failed to score in ten appearances for Rangers and is still seeking a first goal for Blackpool after nine games. Nevertheless, the former England forward, who has a year left on his contract, will return to Rangers for pre-season training.

"I wanted to be here for the title win so I asked the gaffer if it was all right and he wanted me to be here," Beattie said of Walter Smith's last match in charge.

"Winning the game the way we did was great but then to go back to Ibrox with all the fans to celebrate the title was a fitting send-off for the gaffer."

Beattie, who came off the bench in the 82nd minute of Blackpool's 4-3 win over Bolton on Saturday, will now try to help the Seasiders get the result at Manchester United that they may need to stay in the Barclays Premier League. But he will then focus on relaunching his Rangers career.

"I'm an easy guy to get along with and the players seemed to like me so it's just a pity that the football didn't go to plan with injuries," he said. "But I'll be back for pre-season training and trying my best to get in the team as we look to make it four in a row.

"I hadn't played much football for 12 months when I came at the start of the season but I wanted to play for the club and on days like Sunday you can see why."

Captain David Weir could also feature again next season after new Rangers manager Ally McCoist revealed he plans to talk with the 41-year-old defender who has expressed a desire to continue playing.

McCoist told the club's official website: "Davie has been an absolutely fantastic captain. I've not spoken to him because he has been away doing his coaching badges and his Uefa qualifications. I can't speak for him and there are a lot of avenues open to him but we'll sit down soon and hopefully we can have a great discussion.

"I'd hope our out-of-contract players would stay. Nothing has been finalised at all with the other lads but they are all tremendous servants to Rangers and we all know their value to us."

That sentiment was echoed by new owner Craig Whyte, who told the Rangers website: "We are looking to keep as much of the squad together as we possibly can. We're going to be getting a few new signings in as well so I think it's going to be very exciting."