The Rangers boss was puzzled by the decision from his predecessor to move a regular out to fringes territory.
Michael Beale’s failure to choose him for Rangers action infuriated Philippe Clement, and now Dujon Sterling wants to pay back the manager’s trust.
The right-back, who joined from Chelsea in the summer, has won over supporters by playing in the middle. After spending the previous season on loan at Stoke City, Sterling had a difficult start to his life in Glasgow as the manager who recruited him assigned him to a supporting role.
Before Clement took over following Beale’s dismissal, he made five appearances, bringing his total for the season to 22. After enjoying the backing of both the manager and the fans throughout his first season at Rangers, Sterling is now looking to ensure that Clement’s requests are fulfilled.
“It’s good that fans are talking about me; they respect what I do and they enjoy watching me play,” the 24-year-old stated. That only has good things to say about it. It is crucial to have the belief from the top down. That directly affects the squad.
The group believes that I am capable of playing any position. In the changing room, it’s always a joke. That merely demonstrates how swiftly football can evolve. All you have to do is carry on working every day, just like I did.
“This gaffer told me, ‘I don’t understand why you aren’t playing,’ after observing what I was doing on the training field every day. He believed in me enough to play me with confidence. I have to give him credit.
“I’ll just attempt to win the ball back, even if I make a few blunders on the pitch. It all depends on how you respond. Over the past few months, he has been relentlessly instilling that in my mind.
“He demands that I respond to things more quickly. I’ve been attempting to improve on that each and every training day.”
