Philippe Clement shares who he spoke to first to put out Rangers 'fire' on his Ibrox arrival

Philippe Clement has revealed Rangers captain James Tavernier was the first person he spoke to about where the "fire" was when he arrived at the club.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday (13 March), the Gers boss said in a stadium where there is a lot of noise, you need experienced players on the pitch.

He added that it is "crucial" to have someone like the 32-year-old right-back during matches as the Light Blues prepare to take on Benfica on Thursday (14 March) for a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

James Tavernier leadership vital for Rangers

The influence Tavernier has on the Rangers team with his leadership and quality on the ball certainly can't be understated.

It shows good management that Clement turned to the Gers captain as soon as he arrived at the club to understand what had been going on behind the scenes.

The right-back has been at the club for nine years and will know exactly where things will have been going wrong after achieving success previously at Ibrox.

The pair clearly have a great working relationship as the Englishman is flourishing under the Belgian's management after putting together some incredible numbers once again this season.

They will be hoping to take another big step against Benfica as booking a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a win over the Portuguese champions would be another indication of just how far the Light Blues have come in such a short space of time.

In other Rangers news, Keown has raved about an underappreciated Gers star after what he’s seen. 

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