PHILIPPE CLEMENT has dedicated his first piece of silverware as Rangers manager to the supporters as the Light Blues were crowned 2023/24 Viaplay Cup winners this afternoon.
A captain’s contribution from James Tavernier with 15 minutes remaining propelled the Gers to their first League Cup success since 2011 and delivered Clement his maiden trophy as boss.
Speaking to RangersTV, the delighted Belgian beamed: “It’s great to have this feeling and also the greatest thing is to see all these happy fans, players and staff.
“We’re all only nine weeks in the building, but a lot of things have happened already in the short space of time. We’ve had two historical moments in one week: the win in Seville to top the group, and now that we’ve won the cup it’s exceptional.
“We do this job to entertain and make people happy. It’s great to have 30,000 fans here today, but there are many more in the city.
“The players will now have really good moments with the fans in the next couple of days.”
The Light Blues were forced to wait until deep into the second half to find the breakthrough, but it was worth the wait when a sumptuous half-volley from Tavernier brought the Mount Florida end of Hampden to its feet.
And the triumph followed a heroic effort in Seville less than 72 hours before where the Gers topped their Europa League group with a first ever victory in Spain over Spanish opposition.
Clement added: “It was hard fought, but it was a really well-deserved victory. We had the best of the ball and the better chances, and of course in the end they put everything upfront, even the goalkeeper, and you need to stay calm in your head.
“We could have kept the ball a little bit more, which is something to talk about tomorrow, but it’s a well-deserved victory with all the pressure from outside and it being 12 years.
“The players showed a lot of mentality, character and personality, and that’s what I want to see.
“It’s personality, which we have several of inside the dressing room. I see more players standing up in that way.
“I’m happy that I have a few leaders in the dressing room that can help push the story that I want; the winning and never-give-up mentality that we want to create. I see more players who understand that.”