Why Philippe Clement has signed new Rangers contract - huge potential, problem solver, boardroom alignment

Philippe Clement has set out his ambition to “bring Rangers back to where it should be” after putting pen to paper on a new contract less than 10 months into his Ibrox reign.

The Belgian, who joined Rangers last October following the sacking of Michael Beale on a deal until 2027, has added a further year to his original agreement with an extension until the summer of 2028. The deal was brokered at the end of last season following talks between Clement and chairman John Bennett with the announcement coming on the eve of the new William Hill Scottish Premiership season opener away to Hearts.

Clement secured League Cup success and qualification for the Europa League last 16 in his first campaign in charge and has overseen a major squad rebuild this summer alongside director of football recruitment Nils Koppen. The former Club Brugge and Monaco boss explained that committing his long-term future to the club was borne out of the “huge potential” at Ibrox and that he and the board are “really aligned” over the future direction of the club.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has signed a contract extension until 2028. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

“It’s what I wanted and it’s something that naturally started a while ago,” Clement said. “You come into the building when the results were not good so you try to change that as fast as possible with the squad and resources available. But along the way you start to talk more and more in the the club with decisive people about how to change things and make things better for the future. And I think out of that, from both sides, this intention started. There is a lot of potential here, there are a lot of people with a lot of passion in the building, in the board also, and from my side also to make things better and to try to find an even better commitment than it was before.

"[My relationship with the board] has always been really aligned, open and transparent. In the last couple of weeks I’ve heard from the chairman much more because James [Bisgrove, ex-CEO] has left the club and the chairman took over some duties in that way. But in every meeting that we had you feel the desire and passion to make this club better and that’s the same for me. I’ve fallen in love with this club, with the fans, with the stadium, with the city. In everything here I see huge potential but we need now to make the club stronger and better in every department, and that is our goal.”

Clement has not had it all his own way since joining Rangers with the 50-year-old seeing the title slip from his grasp last season after missing a chance to overtake Celtic at the top of table in April when a defeat at Ross County was followed by draw at Dundee. He is also yet to inflict a defeat Celtic in four attempts with one draw and two defeats in the league followed by a 1-0 reverse in last season’s Scottish Cup final, while he faces a difficult start to the new campaign with the team set to play its home matches at Hampden until the end of September and possibly beyond due to a delay in building works at Ibrox Stadium.

Clement, however, views himself as the club’s problem solver.

“Several things suprised me along the way – but that is also not bad,” he added in an interview with Rangers TV. “I am someone who is looking for solutions and not sticking with problems and being negative about that. If there is a problem there are solutions and you need to be inventive to make things better and find the solutions. It is important that everyone thinks the same. I’ve been backed in that way, and I’ve been backing everyone in the building. I feel really good here so it was no-brainer to commit myself for several years and not to leave in the summer or early next season or the season after. I really want to make this project really strong and to bring Rangers back where it should be.”

Chairman John Bennett has put his faith in the former Belgium defender being able to deliver on his promises. “As I intimated in my recent RangersTV interview, Philippe and I had a far-reaching conversation at the end of May,” he said. “Our shared ambition was clear: the rebuild of the Rangers men’s first team for the long term as well as short term.

“At that meeting we shook hands on this new contract and the board is delighted that the formalities have been concluded.”