RANGERS have become a home from home for Gedion Zelalem.

The move from London to Glasgow could have been a daunting one for the 18-year-old, but he has quickly adapted to his new surroundings.

The grandeur of Ibrox, the high-spec facilities of Murray Park are familiar to Zelalem and reinforce his belief he was right to exchange life in the Arsenal youth ranks, and turn down approaches from clubs in England, for a shot at first team glory with Rangers.

It was seen as something of a coup for boss Mark Warburton to land one of the most talked about prospects at the Emirates on loan until January.

And Zelalem wasted little time in showing Gers fans what he could do as he turned on the style during the 5-0 win over Airdrie on Wednesday night.

It was the first step on the road to what could become a glittering career for the midfielder, and he is determined to take further strides during his time north of the border.

“I’ve settled in well and it’s been a good week,” Zelalem said. “The facilities are great, the training is good and it was a great performance against Airdrie on Wednesday.

“The first reason I wanted to join Rangers is because they are a massive club. Everyone knows about Glasgow Rangers and you wouldn’t play in front of 50,000 fans by joining any other club on loan.

“The type of attendances at Ibrox will replicate what it’s like at Arsenal and there is also the fact you have to win every week here which is the same as at Arsenal, as is the style of football.

“It will be good for my confidence playing for Rangers and that will benefit me when I go back to Arsenal. They will see that.

“Any young player who does well on loan will have a great chance - you see that with Alex Pritchard who was at Brentford and now at Spurs.”

Rangers faced competition from several clubs south of the border for Zelalem’s signature before they were finally able to clinch a deal earlier this week.

He follows North London compatriots Dominic Ball and Nathan Oduwa in making the switch to Glasgow after they completed moves from Tottenham Hotspur for the season.

Warburton has a track record of not only giving young players a chance to shine, but helping their development in a competitive first team environment from his time as Brentford boss.

And Zelalem is excited at the chance of being at the heart of the Warburton way as the 52-year-old continues to make his mark at Ibrox this term.

“I spoke to Arsene Wenger and Steve Bould and they thought it was a great opportunity for me, especially for my first loan,” he said. “I’ll get on the ball here a lot because we’ll have a lot of the possession.

“They left the final decision to me but they had nothing but great things to say about the club and the manager. They said he believes in young players and the style of football was a major factor in me joining Rangers.

“Jon Toral went on loan from Arsenal to Brentford and he had nothing but great things to say about the manager here. I was convinced this was the place to be.”

Having made his choice, Zelalem is now determined to make the most of it as he bids to play a key part for Rangers in the coming months.

The German-born, American Under-20 internationalist shone against the Diamonds as Gers supporters were given an insight into what he will bring to the side this season.

He is a player that few will know much about, but Zelalem is already well-versed in Rangers and our game.

He said: “I know about Scottish football, everyone knows about the Old Firm rivalry so it would be great to play Celtic this season.

“Claudio Reyna coached me at Under-14s with the USA national team and Maurice Edu sent me a tweet wishing me good luck which was nice.

“I’ve signed until January but depending on how it goes that could be extended.

“If I find it’s the right club for me and if Rangers think it’s good for me to stay then we can discuss that.”

The coming weeks and months will see Zelalem learn his trade in the Championship, but he has already had a taste of Champions League football.

He was a second half substitute for the Gunners as Wenger’s side won 4-1 away to Galatasaray last December.

And the playmaker is confident he will return to that stage once again and make a name for himself at the Emirates.

Zelalem said: “It’s every young kid’s dream to play in the Champions League and to come on at half-time and play 45 minutes at Galatasaray was a great experience.

“I’m convinced I can make it at Arsenal but it might take some time.

“The Champions League is a massive stage and there is pressure to win here but there are similar expectations to win every game at Rangers because if you lose it’s a disaster.

“The manager has been a big influence on me at Arenal and Neil Banfield.

“They have tried to push me. They might have thought it would work earlier but it will come eventually.”