With the new contract for utility man Dujon Sterling, it’s clear now that Rangers manager Philippe Clement sees the 25-year-old as a mainstay at Ibrox, even if he’s not been starting every match recently.
Indeed, the strategy over Sterling is a curious one – the boy has actually only started four matches this whole season, being subbed on in 6.
He’s played his preferred midfield slot four times, but recently has gone back to being a utility option again and mostly from the bench. His last start was v Dundee in the League Cup on the 21st.
And yet, this new deal suggest he’s one Clement really does rate, really does want to build around, even if actions speak louder than ‘words’ and Sterling has been a bit-part player lately.
We’re trying to figure out what the plan is here.
In a full-strength Rangers XI, we do not know if Clement would start Sterling.
We know his main storm troopers (give or take) now:
Butland, Tavernier, Souttar, Propper, Barron, Lawrence, Dessers.
Those seem to be his core of seven that Clement wants to use more often than not. Some of them are absolute critical ever-present starting players.
Sterling is not among this at the moment – he appears to drift in and out, and he might be alongside the likes of Ridvan, Cerny, Diomande, Bajrami and a few others who are on the cusp of the team core and are indeed very close to being ever-present but don’t quite get there.
And yet Sterling is vital.
Clement has been on record exalting the boy and his importance, even if he doesn’t start every match.
We haven’t even ranted about his preferred midfield slot – despite his being at his best in midfield, Clement doesn’t seem to want to consistently use him there.
We noted some fans arguing on our platforms that there’s no point in the boy being a jack of all trades, that he should be pegged down into one slot – and most fans seem torn between whether that’s midfield or right back.
Either way though, Clement and the club have tied him up till 2028, and the player is delighted.
We guess the coming months will demonstrate exactly what Clement intends to do with Sterling.