If Rangers fans had a pound for every time Philippe Clement referenced the age of his young team, they might not be millionaires.
But they’d certainly have more than the restrictive transfer budget that has prevented Rangers adding to their squad this winter.
Instead, Rangers have been forced into being creative in order to find solutions and in the summer identified Clinton Nsiala as a potential player for the future.
But owing to injuries and a lack of options, the 21-year-old centre-back has been fast tracked through the club’s B team and is now impressing in the starting XI.
Philippe Clement hails Clinton Nsiala
Philippe Clement once again gave Clinton Nsiala the nod in Rangers’ must win trip to face Hearts at Tynecastle in the Scottish Premiership.
The French defender put in a solid display despite the intensity of Hearts’ game in Edinburgh and Philippe Clement hailed the centre-back come full-time.
“I need to praise him today, and I don’t do that so often or so fast with young players,” Clement told a post-match press conference.
”But he’s showing consistency from the moment he stepped into the team. In his work rates, in the trainings, in his concentration, and during the games, and you see him developing week after week.
”Every meeting that we have with him, with individual images, he’s so focused on getting better, so hungry to become better.
“So those are the kind of young players you’re looking for, because they develop fast. And I had a few in the past that made really big steps forward in a short time.
“He’s doing that also, and it’s now the question to keep this focus and concentration and the hard work, and then he will be a really good signing at the end of the season.”
Rangers quartet helping top talent develop
Philippe Clement was asked if Clinton Nsiala is further along in his development than expected at Rangers.
In a positive assessment, the Rangers manager is clear that the defender is developing at a much higher rate than anticipated.
Clement has hailed the recruitment team for identifying the defender but also those Rangers players who’ve been helping to guide the kid.
“Yes, for sure, I need to be honest about that,” said Clement when asked the question. “For sure, we saw him play, OK, all credit to the recruitment team that found him.
“Of course, we have always a final say, and we speak about things, about profiles, to do it or not. At the end, with him, you saw the technical qualities, you saw also the speed, but he didn’t have the positioning at that moment.
“He made a lot of mistakes in that, in the beginning also, when he was playing with the second team, but he’s learning really fast, and credit to my staff, but credit also to the experienced players around him, all the centre-backs who have been working with him every day in training and coaching him.”
Specifically, the Rangers manager has singled out defensive quartet Robin Propper, John Souttar, Leon Balogun and James Tavernier for supporting Clinton Nsiala.
By the same token, Clement has praised Nsiala for taking the advice and support from the more experienced players in the Gers squad on board.
“He’s very hungry to get all this information from Robin or John or Leon Balogun, or from Tav, to become better, and then you see evolution can go really fast,” said Clement.
“It’s now the most important thing in football, stays confirming things, so it’s now two months that he’s doing that, so we want to see the confirmation in the next couple of months.”
