Rangers manager Philippe Clement has humbly ‘rejected’ the well-earned Manager of the Month award bestowed upon him for January’s gong, by saying that it’s a team effort and he takes no seriousness individually in such credit.
Speaking at his pre-Aberdeen presser, Clement rather dismissed the reward as recognition for himself, and wholly credited the team and staff with the award:
“For me it’s a collective award, those things. It’s good for the staff because of all the good job that they did for the players also because they worked really hard to get good results so I see it in that way. It’s not an individual prize, it’s more a collective prize so it means that the team is on the right way and that’s the most important.”
A born winner, but tellingly, taking absolutely no individual credit for the award and furnishing it upon everyone else instead.
Compared with Derek McInnes last month who took credit indirectly by ‘sharing’ the award:
“The award is shared by my players and staff, recognising their efforts which sees us in a strong position at this stage of the season. I am enjoying working with a squad that is so full of motivation, but I still actually feel that there is a bit more to come from them.”
Ok, not quite ‘me me me’ but nowhere near as humble as Clement who immediately dismissed the award on a individual basis and offered it almost entirely to the staff and players.
There’s no question Clement is the right calibre of man and manager for Rangers.
We will always question decisions like the Dujon Sterling situation against St Mirren, as any fan should, but the bigger picture sees someone who is completely taking Rangers in the right direction.
And he knows that himself.
And as a further little clue of his calibre, he described the award as ‘those things’ which showed Philippe Clement is no stranger to winning as a manager, to success, and to being a team man all the way.
He’s been here so many times before, he knows the ropes, and getting awards is nothing new to Clement. He just never takes them seriously, unless they’re silverware for the club.
Well done indeed.