The unique celebration QPR fans should expect from Pape Meïssa Ba | OneFootball

Ba has performed an intriguing celebration in recent times

Football is full of unique and quirky celebrations, and Queens Park Rangers supporters at Loftus Road look set to be treated to one this upcoming season as they close in on the signing of Pape Meissa Da.

The 28-year-old Senegalese forward is set to join the West London club for a reported £500,000+ add-ons from 2. Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04, who are now under the management of former Plymouth Argyle boss, Miron Muslic.

Rangers are also preparing for their first season under new management, with Julien Stephan taking the reins at the end of June, as the Frenchman's long-awaited appointment brought the club's long-standing managerial search, which lasted over two months, to its conclusion.

In the past month, Stephan and the recruitment team in W12 have been able to target a plethora of incomings, with the count on that front currently standing at three, with Kealey Adamson, Kwame Poku and Amadou Mbengue joining from Macarthur FC, Peterborough United and Reading, respectively.

And, after years of finishing in mid-table mediocrity with a backdrop of financial limitations, those who flock to Loftus Road week-in, week-out, will be hoping this marks the start of a much-improved and successful era for the club, and one in which they will hope to see the aforementioned Ba's quirky celebration on a regular basis.

Pape Meissa Ba had unique goal celebration with Grenoble Foot and FC Schalke 04

Ba, who Rangers have reached an agreement with Schalke ahead of an imminent three-year deal, has played for five clubs in his career thus far, turning out for Dakar Sacre-Couer, Troyes, Red Star FC, Grenoble and Schalke.

The forward's most prolific season in front of goal came for Red Star in the 2021/22 campaign, in which his record of 21 goals and five assists for a side which finished 11th in the French third-tier, saw him move to Grenoble.

It was at the Stade des Alpes where Ba developed his unique post-goal celebration, described as "possibly trying to symbolise a ticking clock" when asked about it's origins after he netted the first of his two goals for Schalke in the second half of last season with a 34th-minute strike and winner in a 2-1 success over Karlsruher SC at the Veltins Arena.

“It was obviously a special feeling,” Ba said of the goal, but when asked about the meaning of his celebration, he stated: “I’ll reveal what it’s about at the end of the season."

The Dakar-born man went on to make 13 appearances for 'Die Königsblauen', scoring the second and final goal of his short spell with the club in the following home game, which once again proved decisive in a 1-0 success over Preussen Munster.

QPR supporters will hope Pape Meissa Ba ends striker woes at Loftus Road

Last season, the goals were very much shared around at Loftus Road in a season of mixed fortunes, with no player bettering Michael Frey's relatively low tally of eight in the Championship.

The normally reliable Ilias Chair will also hope to better his tally of two, albeit the Moroccan's availability last term took a hit as a result of injury and fitness issues, whilst summer signing and Slovenian international, Zan Celar, scored the same amount, with many labelling his addition already into the 'mishap' category.

Therefore, it's perhaps unsurprising that Stephan is scouting talent in Europe to bolster his side's prolificacy in an attempt to mount a play-off bid, with Rangers also facing competition from Derby County and Blackburn Rovers for the signing of Timothe Nkada, who scored 17 times for Rodez last season.