Philippe Clement has seen something of a revival at Rangers since taking over as manager from Michael Beale.
Several players have improved under the Gers boss but those that didn’t – like Sam Lammers and Jose Cifuentes – were quickly shipped out on loan.
There will be another mini-exodus in the summer as Philippe Clement looks to clear the decks of those who are out of contract and bring in money to rebuild his Rangers squad but there is one player who could find himself in limbo.
Philippe Clement needs Rangers future call from Adam Devine
Players like Ben Davies and Kieran Dowell, as well as the two already named, will be top of the list to be moved on if bidders can be found.
They aren’t contributing but are picking up big wages.
They are also good enough to bring in decent transfer fees too though.
One individual who doesn’t really come under either category, is Adam Devine.
The Scotland Under-21 international still has another year of his contract to run which ends in the summer of 2025, but found himself in no-man’s land after Michael Beale signed Dujon Sterling.
A signing that, despite his pedigree, seemed strange at the time when you recall how highly the previous gaffer rated Devine:
“It’s early days for Adam but I don’t think he’s looked phased. Tonight, in an attacking sense, in the first half he got into really good areas but the young boy on the wing for them caused him one or two issues as well. I got into him a bit at half-time and I thought he had a really strong second half.
“You’ve got to remember, he’s playing on the wrong side as well. I think he’ll jump up another 20-25 per cent if he’s at right back. So maybe our captain needs to look over his shoulder!”
The problem facing Adam Devine
The problem for Devine, is that James Tavernier is so important for Rangers and rarely misses a game plus, we also have two international left-backs too.
It is easy to see why he made the decision to join Motherwell on loan and also why, in his own words, why his standards dropped:
“I was low on confidence and I wasn’t training at my best. I knew I wasn’t at my best. About three or four weeks before the window closed, I started to pick up my training and the way I was training and I felt better about myself.
“I felt it was the right time to go out and play some games.”
Devine wasn’t injured, he just wasn’t getting game time at all.
Even if the B team had still been in the Lowland League, it wouldn’t have made a difference and he made the right call to head out on loan.
What he has to do is reset his goals.
When he comes back in the summer, Tavernier will, probably, still be at the club unless an outrageous bid follows the interest from Saudi Arabia.
Sterling will also be in front of him in the queue.
What options does Adam Devine have?
Faced with this situation, he has a few choices:
- Ask for a permanent exit.
- Stay and be content with being a back up until the end of his contract.
- Sign a new contract and head out on loan.
Personally, I’d like him to go with option number three.
Play more games and be ready to fight for Tavernier’s jersey as and when he leaves or his legs start to go.
Devine has the athleticism and mentality to play for Rangers but he has never had a run of games at senior level in his preferred position.
Doing well for Motherwell is a start and he shouldn’t feel like he has to replace James Tavernier.
Why?
Because the reality is, nobody can.
