Philippe Clement ‘gets Rangers transfer decision spot on’ before sack
Philippe Clement wasn’t the most popular figure at Rangers, but the Belgian manager has undoubtedly left a lasting legacy after one influential decision.
Clement was sacked at Ibrox earlier this year after some inconsistent performances domestically that saw the Gers getting knocked out of the Scottish Cup.
Barry Ferguson was appointed interim manager until the end of the season, and while the former Scotland international has faced his own challenges, the 3-2 victory over Celtic at Parkhead after a late goal from Hamza Igamane has turned the mood around Ibrox.
While the fans have every right to be disgruntled with Clement, some things during his final months in charge were encouraging.
Rangers shifted focus to youngsters under Clement
Clement had a poor start to the 2024/25 season, and the pressure on him only increased after several underwhelming displays.
There was a bit of a turning point for the Belgian manager, though, as he started to make several big calls in his starting lineups.
| Matches (2024/25) | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 43 | 25 | 8 | 10 |
It started with the reintroduction of Ianis Hagi, which instantly significantly improved things at Ibrox.
Igamane, Clinton Nsiala, Bailey Rice and other youngsters started featuring for Clement more regularly during his final months in charge, paving their way into the first team.
Igamane transfer a massive call by Clement at Ibrox
Igamane’s start at Rangers wasn’t the best, and it felt like the Gers had made a mistake by signing the relatively unknown striker from AS FAR.
The 22-year-old has slowly become one of the most exciting prospects in the Scottish Premiership, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see big clubs like Newcastle United and Tottenham coming knocking at Ibrox for his signature soon.
Clement didn’t just give the Moroccan ace opportunities to showcase his talent at the Light Blues, the Belgian manager also played a massive role in bringing the centre-forward to Glasgow.
The former AS Monaco boss personally called the Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s technical director, Chris Van Puyvelde, before signing Igamane.
Speaking to the Rangers Review (18 March), Van Puyvelde said: “I still remember when Clement called me about him. And then I gave him the information I knew, but I said it’s best to talk with some people that have been working with him, like Issame Charai, who is now also with Rangers.
“And then, in the end, they were convinced.”
Igamane has gone from strength to strength at the Bears, and his development hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Morocco giving him a call-up to the national side.
Walid Regragui handed the 22-year-old his international debut as he came on as a substitute in the Atlas Lions’ 2-1 win over Niger in the World Cup qualifiers on Friday (21 March).
Clement was rightly sacked by Patrick Stewart and the Gers’ hierarchy for failing to bring the best out of the team, but his role in Igamane’s transfer shows that the Belgian manager did some things right at Ibrox.