Philippe Clement has pledged to give youth a chance at Rangers with the likes of Bailey Rice and Finlay Curtis getting their opportunities in recent weeks.
But the Rangers manager has also hesitated at times when it comes to the youngest players in the squad, the weight of the blue jersey heavy enough for the Ibrox club’s most senior campaigners.
Bailey Rice is widely regarded as the brightest talent in the Rangers ranks but was hooked off at half-time in the Scottish Cup embarrassment against Queen’s Park.
A defensive Philippe Clement faced a grilling on his Rangers future ahead of the clash with Hearts and revealed he has held talks with the midfielder after the defeat to the Spiders.
Philippe Clement holds meeting with Bailey Rice
Michael Beale claimed Bailey Rice was ‘ready’ for the Rangers first-team back in September 2023.
But Philippe Clement took a very different view on the midfielder, suggesting that the 18-year-old still had plenty of work to do on his game without the ball.
This season, Clement has begun to tease Rangers fans with more and more minutes handed to Rice but Queen’s Park was a disappointing result for all involved, not least the young midfielder.
Rice had a disappointing 45 minutes at Ibrox, as did the rest of the Rangers team to be frank, but fans had, rather cathartically, suggested Clement used Rice as something of a scapegoat.
The Rangers manager has bit back at such suggestions and calmed concerns that the half-time substitution might impact Rice’s early development.
“Of course, I spoke with Bailey Rice, like we speak with the other players in the other weeks,” Clement told the press ahead of the clash with Hearts.
“I know there is concern from people about Bailey Rice being taken off at half-time and the effect it will be on him. I can say that there’s no reason to have any doubts about that.
“We had a meeting with Bailey like we do with other players also, individually. And it’s always collectively and individually with players.”
Rangers wonderkid feels Ibrox ‘tension’
Given Rice’s rise over the last two or so years at Rangers, Rangers youth coach Brian Gilmour has had a key role to play in the kid’s development.
Clement explained that the meeting was done alongside the academy coach to have some ‘consistency’ with how the teenage talent is being managed.
The Rangers manager claims that Bailey Rice was frank about his performance against Queen’s Park, where the midfielder struggled to impose himself on the match.
Clement believes that the weight of expectation at Ibrox had a big role to play and reiterated his belief in the kid’s potential.
The Rangers boss also reckons the Ibrox support didn’t see Rice’s ‘quality’ in the match.
”Bailey was the first one who was not happy with his first half,” said Clement.
“It’s normal, he’s 18, he’s the first time at Ibrox, and he’s a lifelong fan. There is a certain tension around that.
“It’s a player I believe really hard in. I don’t give easy chances to 18-year-olds in a big European game or to start games like that.
“Bailey played an okay game, but the quality that he has and the specific quality that will make him a top player for the future, he didn’t use in this game. That’s his really good passing and his passing forward to breaking lines.”
Rangers experience will make Bailey Rice ‘better’
Philippe Clement understands that Rangers fans might’ve been frustrated with the decision to sub Bailey Rice off against Queen’s Park.
But the manager suggests that not only is hindsight 20/20 but there is nothing he could’ve done right given the context of the seismic result.
“After the game, you can say you should have played with Bailey Rice more,” said Clement. “But then I would have had the question ‘why you don’t put the experienced Nicolas Raskin in at half-time?’ Was that a mistake made?
“So that’s afterwards, but Bailey is very motivated and hungry. He feels my confidence, he feels the confidence of the staff.”
Philippe Clement is never one to openly criticise his players and it’s clear the Rangers manager sees big things in Bailey Rice’s future.
The defeat to Queen’s Park was an earth-shatteringly poor result for the entire club, but it’s also an experience which Clement insists will only make Bailey Rice stronger.
“I’m very sure also after this meeting, because that was interesting also to see how he reacts in that situation,” said Clement. “He was very mature, very understanding what he did wrong when he saw himself.
“And he will learn out of this and it will be a good experience at the end. This one that makes him better, so no doubts about it.”
