Philippe Clement shares what he sees for long-term future of ‘really important’ Dujon Sterling at Rangers
Dujon Sterling is a “really important” player for Rangers regardless of where he features on the pitch, boss Philippe Clement has said.
The former Chelsea man, 24, has found game time at his preferred right-back position blocked by the consistency of club captain James Tavernier.
But he impressed as a substitute in central midfield in the Europa League win against Real Betis and was excellent as Rangers lifted the Viaplay Cup trophy in a 1-0 triumph over Aberdeen at Hampden on Sunday (17 December).
Clement has liked what he has seen of Sterling since his arrival at Ibrox and spoke about where he sees him featuring moving forward.
“Impressed is maybe not a good word as I expected it from what I saw in training. I’ve already told the club he is going to become a really important player for me,” he said, in quotes reported by the Daily Record (20 December).
“Can he have a long-term future in midfield? It can be all over the pitch to be honest. I asked him if he can also play goalkeeper. But we have enough good goalkeepers! But he can play also as a winger. I’m convinced. For Dujon, it’s going to be important to get minutes and develop.”
Versatility is key
Sterling was one of nine summer signings made by former boss Michael Beale and it is fair to say he did not exactly hit the ground running at Ibrox, albeit that was in large part down to the importance of Tavernier.
But, like several of those signings and others in the team, he has enjoyed a resurgence under Clement, particularly in the past few weeks when Clement needed him to step in to help alleviate a lack of options in midfield.
For Sterling, his versatility is likely to be key to his chances of staying in the side, especially given Tavernier is unlikely to be shifted from the right-back berth anytime soon – especially after his winner in the Viaplay Cup final.
It is important for Clement too to have a player who can fill in at several positions on the pitch and his willingness to move into midfield at a time of need shows a willingness to put the team first, another good trait to have.
In other Rangers news, Celtic have responded amid the Gers’ “grossly unfair” statement.