To say Glasgow Rangers have been revitalised under Philippe Clement would be an understatement. The Belgian manager took over a club in crisis and has since restored the confidence needed to ensure the Gers can go toe to toe with Celtic.
Indeed, they are now in a Premiership title hunt and clearly have the momentum following their recent run of form.
The 49-year-old has had to endure plenty of injury problems which have engulfed his squad since taking over, which included having to go through the festive spell missing eight players.
This meant he had to adapt his squad and feature a few players out of position in order to retain their shape during matches.
The notable change was that of Dujon Sterling, who has featured in a variety of positions under Clement and has performed well in each one, proving that the Ibrox side have signed a solid player who can adapt his game to fit the needs of the team.
Dujon Sterling was one of Michael Beale’s first signings
Following the trophyless 2022/23 season, Michael Beale looked to undergo a summer rebuild which would hopefully give him a platform to build a side capable of challenging Celtic.
The versatile defender signed a pre-contract agreement with the Light Blues in May last year and, on the surface, it looked like a reliable signing.
“I am delighted to welcome Dujon to Rangers, he is an exciting young player who, I’m sure, will be a great addition to our squad,” beamed Beale as he welcomed Sterling to Glasgow.
“He is a very powerful and strong defender, who has fantastic attacking qualities and I look forward to working with him at Rangers.”
High praise from the former manager and added depth was required in the defence, which is what Sterling would offer.
He has experienced plenty of highs and lows during his first year in Scotland, but his market value has risen rapidly due to his performances.
Dujon Sterling’s market value at Chelsea
The Englishman started his career at the Stamford Bridge side, going on to make just two appearances for them during the 2017/18 season.
His market value at that time was €2.4m (£2m) according to Football Transfers, yet he failed to make the grade at the Blues and went through a succession of loans over the next five seasons in order to secure regular first team football.
During this period, Sterling played 38 League One matches while starring 58 times in the Championship, but the chance to move to Rangers was clearly too good to turn down.
It has since proven to be an inspired move as his market value has increased and if he can maintain his current form, there is no doubt it will grow exponentially.
Dujon Sterling’s market value at Rangers
Despite the Englishman playing only 21 matches for the Ibrox side since joining last summer, he has emerged as a player who Clement can trust to fill in the gaps when key players are missing.
With this, his market value has increased to its current total of €3.1m (£2.6m) according to Football Transfers, and this represents a solid value for a player who cost the Gers nothing.
The 24-year-old has yet to even reach his peak and the more games he gets under his belt in the coming years, the better he will perform.
Dujon Sterling’s season by numbers
While Beale made his move to bring the youngster to Scotland, he only played seven times under the Englishman as he could not work his way into the starting XI.
A handful of appearances followed during the early stages of Clement’s reign, but it was not until the Gers faced a crisis in the heart of their midfield that the Belgian turned to Sterling to solve his problem.
With Ryan Jack and Nico Raskin out injured for the League Cup final against Aberdeen, combined with Jose Cifuentes missing the clash due to suspension, Sterling came in alongside John Lundstram and did an excellent job, claiming his first major trophy in Scotland.
Dujon Sterling in the Premiership this season | |
|---|---|
Accurate passes per game | 15.7 |
Big chances created | 0 |
Tackles per game | 1.1 |
Total duels won per game | 2.9 |
Possession lost per game | 6.4 |
Stats via Sofascore | |
He kept his place for the next two league matches, against Motherwell and Celtic, and once again, he showed that his talents could be used in various different ways.
Having featured at right-back, left-back, and then in central midfield, the former Chelsea gem had more tricks up his sleeve when the Light Blues travelled to Perth last weekend to play St Johnstone.
Scott Wright had a poor first half which forced Clement into making a change and this saw Sterling emerge for the second half as the right-winger.
Market Movers
Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the worldwide astronomical rises and falls of player transfer values.
During his 45-minute cameo, the 24-year-old not only made one key pass, but he also delivered one successful cross, missed a big chance and also won a penalty in what was a display full of attacking vigour, something that Wright lacked in abundance.
The 5 foot 11 gem was hailed for his showing following the game, with journalist Jonny McFarlane perhaps being his most vocal supporter, saying:
“What a player Dujon Sterling is. Versatile across multiple positions. Supreme attitude. Powerful and athletic. Will make Rangers a fortune if properly developed.”
Nothing seems to be fazing the defender, especially as he has gone on to demonstrate the full spectrum of his talents across different positions, while shining in each one.
McFarlane is correct, Rangers will go on to make a fortune out of Sterling whenever he begins to attract attention, as versatile players like him are getting rarer and rarer, that’s for sure.
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When the time comes, however, Clement will be keen on securing the best fee possible for a player who did not cost a penny when he arrived in Glasgow.
From starting the season as a backup right-back to the club captain, to becoming arguably a key member of the first-team squad, it has been quite a remarkable few months for Sterling.
With injuries likely between now and May, he will still have a big part to play as the Gers aim to win their first Premiership title since 2021.
