Clement left stumped as Frank Lampard first choice claim is put to new Ibrox boss

Philippe Clement has tried to deny that he wasn’t Graeme Souness’ choice to replace Micky Beale in the manager’s chair at Ibrox.

The former Liverpool and Newcastle boss was brought into the recruitment process alongside James Bisgrove and John Bennett.

His name gave credibility to the hunt for a new manager among most loyal bears but unfortunately Souness came to the wrong conclusion with Frank Lampard his choice for the job.

With his good chum Jim White leaking that news Souness appeared on TalkSPORT on Thursday to confirm that Clement wasn’t his choice.

In a very unusual turn of events Mark Benstead asked the former Monaco boss his thoughts on not being the pick of Souness with Clement toiling for a convincing reply.

2 minutes 50 he gets the Souness question

It is good. So that is a good lesson for me now that I read everything that is said. Because the things you say you put it in a different perspective.

So I am not going into those talks, or rumours or all that noise about things because I am here to do a sports job, I’m here to build the team, to make the team stronger.

I’m not here to do things that are rumours or things that are spread, half spread, because that was not the real story of what he said, I’m busy with the team and all those things.

Yesterday Souness told TalkSPORT (5 minutes 50 seconds):

There were two outstanding candidates, Frank and Philippe, who got the job.

The final say was not with me. For me, Frank had the edge because of this. Frank has a great deal to offer in terms of management. I think if you analyse him taking the Chelsea job when he did, it was always going to be very, very difficult.

I think taking the Everton job is a basket case. Have they improved since Frank has left? Not a bit.

So I would not be too harsh to judge Frank. I know you were critical of him, Simon, but I think he is a football man, through and through

The thing that encouraged me about Frank when I met him is that he wanted to do it, he doesn’t need the money, he wants to be a football manager, a successful football manager and he fancied the Rangers job.

Souness is finalising his terms before accepting an unspecified role on the Ibrox payroll.