Dujon Sterling to be ‘surprise’ Rangers star under Philippe Clement amid Ibrox development
Dujon Sterling could prove to be one of the “surprise stars” for Philippe Clement at Rangers this season, according to Dean Jones.
Speaking to GiveMeSport on Tuesday (26 December), the former Eurosport journalist said it’s positive that the 24-year-old has been able to “turn things around” after playing in each of the Gers’ past seven games, having previously been a bit-part player since arriving at Ibrox over the summer.
He added that the English defender still has “big growth potential” and that the love he’s currently getting from the Light Blues will make him feel “ten feet tall”.
“It’s really good for Sterling that he can turn around things like this,” said Jones. “He was pretty much their best player in Europe against Real Betis. He’s still got big growth potential.
“I think he’s a great player, and he can use Rangers as a perfect club to elevate his status. But also, this works both ways because he needs a home that suits him and a project that he feels part of. The love he’s getting from Rangers will probably make him feel ten feet tall.
“I think this is a player that is going to improve more and more as his confidence rises. I know he’s enjoying the challenge, and his open-mindedness about how he can help the team in terms of his role seems encouraging for everyone. He could be one of the surprise stars of this season.”
An asset
It took some time for Sterling to get to grips with life at Rangers after joining on a free transfer from Chelsea over the summer, but he has found his feet over the past few weeks.
The defender was clearly a player the Premier League side thought could have a bright future in the game, having kept him on their books until he was 23 after taking in a number of loan spells in recent years.
He was previously unfancied by former Gers boss Michael Beale, but Clement has given him a chance to impress recently and he hasn’t let the Belgian down.
The Englishman has shown that he can fill in and do a job in either fullback position, while his last couple of outings have been in defensive midfield to make up for the injuries the Light Blues have suffered in that position.
He will now be looking to continue proving his worth in Glasgow and could turn out to be a real asset across the rest of the season as Clement looks to deliver more trophies at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, Kieran Maguire has revealed how an £80million Gers gap could be accelerated by the backing of Saudi Arabia.