Glasgow Rangers made the decision to part ways with manager Michael Beale earlier this month and they have now secured his replacement at Ibrox.
The Scottish giants have officially confirmed the arrival of Belgian boss Philippe Clement, who was most recently with AS Monaco, on a deal until the end of the 2026/27 season.
He has arrived with the Light Blues already seven points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership and competing at Europa League level after Beale failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.
Matches
172
Wins
99
Points
339
Titles
Four
However, a three-and-a-half-year deal suggests that the 49-year-old head coach is not in it for short term success and is looking to build something at Ibrox, which means that he may already have one eye on the future as well as the present.
One player whom Clement may be looking at to make an impact for him in 2024 is Auchenhowie graduate Alex Lowry, who reportedly has a recall option in his current loan spell at Hearts.
The attacking midfielder is currently enjoying a temporary stint with the Premiership side but the Gers could look to bring him back during the January window, or wait until the 2024/25 campaign to bring him back into the first-team fold.
Clement has a history of working with and developing young talent as he has coached the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, now of Real Madrid, Leandro Trossard, now of Arsenal, and Benoit Badisahile, now of Chelsea.
The Belgian tactician also played a key role in the development of current Atalanta ace Charles De Ketelaere during his time with Club Brugge and Lowry could be his next version of the Serie A gem.
How many games did De Ketelaere play for Clement?
He made his first-team debut during the 2019/20 campaign, which was Clement's first year back with Brugge, and went on to play 100 senior matches for the head coach.
The Belgium international racked up 19 goals and 18 assists in that time and eventually enjoyed his best form in front of goal in the manager's final season, which was cut short by his move to Monaco in January 2022, during the 2021/22 campaign.
De Ketelaere produced an eye-catching 18 goals and ten assists in 49 matches in all competitions for Brugge, which included 14 goals and eight assists in 39 league outings.
The talented youngster was unfortunate not to end up with more assists to his name as the wonderful technician created an outstanding 16 'big chances' and produced 1.8 key passes per game across his 37 Pro League starts.
He also caught the eye with 1.4 dribbles completed per game, with a success rate of 54%, which shows that the Belgian ace is also effective in transition due to his ability to commit opposition players with the ball to open up space for himself and others moving into the final third.
Clement placed his faith in the young gem and developed him to a point where he was able to deliver terrific numbers, as shown by his 2021/22 statistics, in attack.
The impressive tactician also did this alongside getting results on the pitch as Brugge won the Pro League title in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, before his exit halfway through the following campaign.
This shows that the new Gers boss is able to achieve success whilst also being able to promote and develop young players, which bodes well for the likes of Lowry, Leon King, and Zak Lovelace, among others.
How many appearances has Lowry made for Rangers?
The 20-year-old prospect has made 14 first-team appearances for the Light Blues to date and has contributed with two goals and two assists.
He has managed one goal and one assist in four Premiership starts for the Scottish giants but has yet to showcase his talent on a regular basis as of yet.
Lowry's form at youth level for the Gers suggests that there is far more to come from the talented youngster if he can eventually translate his performances over to a first-team environment.
The Scotland U21 international produced 12 goals and three assists in 16 Rangers B matches, along with one goal in five U19 outings.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Lowry to be a terrific scorer from an attacking midfield position, which is what De Ketelaere developed into during his time under Clement's management at Brugge.
How has Lowry performed this season?
The 20-year-old wizard, who was once hailed as "dangerous" by ex-boss Gio van Bronckhorst, has caught the eye since making the move to Hearts on loan over the summer.
Sofascore rating
7.2
Shots
Four
Goals
Zero
Dribbles completed
One
Duels won
Three
Lowry's most recent performance for Hearts (via Sofascore)
He has produced one goal and four assists in eight domestic outings for his current club throughout the 2023/24 campaign, which includes two assists in six Premiership games.
Lowry has created eight chances and assisted two goals in four league starts for Hearts and this shows that the Scottish maestro is able to provide a consistent creative threat at first-team level.
The attacking midfielder is yet to translate his goalscoring form over to senior football but his emergence as a superb creator for his teammates is fantastic to see and adds another string to his bow.
What's next for Lowry?
The Gers academy prodigy must now continue to impress between now and January and provide Clement with a decision to make at the start of 2024.
He could tempt the Belgian boss to recall him to be a part of the squad for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign or the Light Blues could reassess his situation next summer.
Either way, the signs are promising for the 20-year-old gem and he should be pleased to see that the club have brought in a manager who has a proven track record of using and developing young players, particularly in his area of the pitch.
Therefore, Lowry could end up being De Ketelaere 2.0, as a scorer and a creator from an attacking midfield position, for Clement if he keeps his head down and works hard to take his game to the next level over the coming months and years.