One thing that has clearly frustrated Philippe Clement since arriving at Rangers has been the injury list, for want of a better word, “crippling” is the only way to describe it.
The Gers boss has shown that he has changed the mentality in Ibrox and beyond with a squad now believing that it can achieve anything with the big Belgian in charge.
Next season though, there will be changes made and the summer recruitment will see players who have missed too many games under Philippe Clement, as well as during their Rangers careers, moved on.
Philippe Clement has to wave good bye to one-time Rangers hero
Kemar Roofe will be a name near the top of this list even if the 31-year old striker isn’t in a hurry to leave:
“My future? Who knows? You’d need to ask the gaffer and people in control of the contracts.
“I’d like to stay, of course I would. I really like playing in this squad and under this gaffer. What he’s brought to the club is massive.
“He’s built a real machine mentality — we go again, it’s like a switch we have.
“We’re disappointed just now about Europe but we’ll recover and redouble our efforts. We have a Treble to go for this season and they could do the Quadruple next season.”
With just 98 games in four seasons though, there is no way that a manager who lists robustness so high up on his list of player qualities will entertain thoughts of offering a new contract to Roofe.
What he will see, is the opportunity to offer the £27,000 per week salary that the Jamaica international is said to be on, to someone who will not only contribute, but be available to play too.
Despite his issues, Kemar Roofe will leave with fond memories of Rangers.
When Roofe was at his Old Firm best
An Old Firm double.
With the league title in the bag, Rangers enjoyed themselves in the last derby of 2020/21.
None moreso than a fit and firing Roofe, who would finish the season as top goalscorer in the league.
The two goals against Celtic proved why he earned his reputation as the club’s best finisher.
An instinctive one with his chest and the other, to finish a move he started, with a perfectly timed run into the box and textbook header.
He was rarely seen in better shape than during this game.
When Roofe scored the best Rangers goal of all-time
“That” goal.
It was nothing other than timing that prevented Kemar Roofe from winning the Puskas award for best goal and UEFA’s goal of the season too.
Even then, it should still have won when you see the eventual winners.
Regardless of the stage or importance, he beat five players on a waterlogged pitch and scored from his own half – ridiculous.
It is the best goal a Rangers player has ever scored, if you don’t take into consideration importance or emotion.
Roofe shows kung-fu skills in red card mayhem
The other memory isn’t so much one of magic, more one that will never be forgotten for all the wrong reasons.
Sent on against Slavia Prague in an attempt to get Rangers back into the last 16 tie of the Europa League, within 10 minutes, he was back down the tunnel after putting Ondrej Kolar in hospital with a horror challenge.
Deliberate? No.
But it was as dangerous as you will see and ended Rangers hopes of a comeback on a night of football that will always be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
With 38 goals in 98 appearances, Roofe’s goals per minute ratio for Rangers is exactly what Philippe Clement will be looking for this summer, however, he will be wanting a striker who doesn’t take four years to do it.
