Philippe Clement has said his spell as Rangers manager was not the “right time” to bring sustained success back to the club, but insists he will be a Light Blues fan for life after enjoying his 16-month stint in Glasgow.
The current Norwich City boss managed Rangers between October 2023 and February 2025. He won the Premier Sports Cup within two months of taking the job, but fell well behind Celtic in the Premiership title race and was sacked with his side trailing the Hoops by 13 points.
Reflecting on a Difficult Tenure
Clement also failed to take Rangers into the Champions League and was dismissed in February 2025, days after a Scottish Cup exit to Queen's Park. The 52-year-old took charge of Norwich 12 months ago and has led the Canaries to within three points of the Championship play-off spots.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Monaco and Club Brugge boss spoke positively about his old club.
Looking Back with Good Memories
“I don't want to go back into that story too much,” he said. “I don't think it was the right time to be in the club as we saw that a few months later, the club was sold to the American owners. They have now put a lot of money in to get Rangers back to where they should be and where I wanted them to be.”
“I will stay a Rangers fan for all of my life as it's an amazing club, with amazing fans. I look back with really good memories but it was maybe the wrong time at that moment. It is what it is, but that's football.”
Pressure and Passion in Glasgow
Clement acknowledged the intense expectations at Ibrox, noting that Rangers had one of the two best squads in the league and European football, meaning a game every three days. He described the atmosphere in Glasgow as “brutal” at times but said he never felt afraid.
“Everybody lives for football there in Glasgow. Everyone you meet is either for or against you. It's brutal with the reactions sometimes but I never felt afraid,” he said. “It could be brutal meeting fans of the other side but I love that passion. I don't think you can find many places in the world where the passion is the same.”
