RANGERS boss Philippe Clement has shot down reports linking him with the managerial vacancy at Anderlecht — insisting there is no prospect of him leaving his post at Ibrox.
The Belgian had been touted for a possible return to his homeland after Anderlecht sacked head coach Brian Riemer last week.
Having led Club Brugge to back-to-back league titles, he was viewed by some as a leading candidate for the Anderlecht post despite the rivalry that exists between the clubs.
But Clement, who signed a new deal just last month and is now under contract until 2028, has emphatically dismissed any suggestion that he could walk away from Rangers.
Manager Philippe Clement says he is not interested in the Anderlecht job in his native Belgium
Clement and his players train ahead of their Europa League clash with Malmo
Speaking ahead of Rangers’ Europa League opener against Malmo in Sweden, he reaffirmed his commitment to the Ibrox club.
Asked if he wanted to address the links to Anderlecht, he replied: ‘I want to speak about that.
‘It’s really clear, I engaged myself long-term for Rangers last month, so whoever comes, whatever team comes, I’m not going to go away.
‘I’m really clear. I want this project with the club to make it really successful for the future, and we all know we need time for that. We need a few transfer windows for that, we need a lot of work to do for that, and that’s what I want to do.
‘Because I love the city, I love the club, I love the dynamic at Ibrox with the fans, so I’m here to stay.’
Earlier this week, Rangers interim chairman John Gilligan insisted that the club remain fully supportive of Clement and vowed the manager would be given funds to spend in January.
A good run in Europe would help bolster whatever transfer kitty is made available, with Rangers looking to reach the knockout stage of the Europa League for a fifth time in six seasons.
Asked about Gilligan’s comments, Clement said: ‘It’s important and it’s necessary (to have money available).
‘It was not easy in the summer, we talked about that, maybe the people in the club will talk about that later on, in the next couple of months also, about that situation.
Rangers interim chairman John Gilligan says Clement can add to his squad in January
‘Of course, as a manager you hope to get more funds in to do the right thing for the club, but with the resources that were there, I think everybody is starting to see that a lot of good things have been made.’
Clement and his players will embark on a new European campaign this evening against a Malmo side who are closing in on a second successive league title in Sweden.
Rangers have failed to beat Malmo in four previous attempts, losing in the Champions League qualifiers in 2011 and 2021.
Clement admits his team will be playing against the weight of history, but sees no reason why they shouldn’t target another run to the knockout stage of this competition.
The Belgian also revealed that winger Oscar Cortes is set to be out for ‘several weeks’ after picking up a knock.
With Jefte suspended and Ridvan Yilmaz unavailable, that could see Dujon Sterling lining up as an auxiliary left-back.