Former Philippe Clement player tips Nico Raskin and Cyriel Dessers to flourish under new Rangers boss
Byran Heynen has tipped Nico Raskin and Cyriel Dessers to benefit from the appointment of Philippe Clement as the new Rangers manager.
Speaking to the Daily Record on Friday (20 October), the Genk captain said his former boss is “strong” when it comes to man-management as he always made every player feel like they were involved even if they weren’t playing.
Having played alongside Dessers for the Belgian side and against Raskin, he believes the pair will “enjoy” playing under Clement, who he added has the “qualities” to manage a club the size of the Gers.
“He’s strong when it comes to man-management,” said Heynen. “Because he played at a high level as well, he knows the way players think on the pitch and know what happens when they get thrown off their instructions.
“I’m very confident in his qualities that he can manage a club the size of Rangers. I can’t say how quick the players will pick up his way of playing, but Rangers is a top team with top players so they have the qualities to adapt for sure.
“I know some of the guys in the Rangers squad. I played with Cyriel Dessers and against Nico Raskin. I think they will enjoy it but I think the same for every player in the squad.”
Opportunity
It comes as no surprise to hear Heynen speak highly of Clement after the pair had great success together at Genk before the manager moved on to Club Brugge.
After captaining the side under the new Gers boss, he will have a great insight into how he works and what he could bring to Ibrox.
His arrival is an opportunity for Dessers to have a fresh start to life with the Light Blues after the 28-year-old Nigerian forward has been seriously lacking in confidence since signing for the club.
Clement will likely give everyone a chance to impress and he’ll have been keeping a close eye on how they’ve been performing in training this week to see who is really up for the fight.
The Belgian knows full well that it is a difficult job he has on his hands in trying to bring success back to the club, but he will be confident that he can deliver that based on his previous experiences in management.
In other Rangers news, Ferguson was wowed by the result of a Gers grilling during their search for a new manager.