At times this season you’d think Philippe Clement must have wished he’d stuck to tennis.

After all, the big Belgian was adept at two sports as a kid and had a choice to make. He decided to go down the football route and the rest is history. But right now, he probably feels as lonely at Ibrox as he ever did standing on a court baseline.

At the weekend, after Rangers’ 3-1 win over St Johnstone he claimed that he felt alone in the desert earlier in this campaign. But Clement isn’t one to look for sympathy. He’s feeling the heat as Gers manager but he says he’s a big enough boy to take it. And there was a reason why he ditched his racquet and kept playing football as a youngster. He wanted to achieve things as a team, not on his own. That’s why he’s so hell bent on finishing the job he started at Rangers and making the club number one in Scotland again.

READ MORE: Philippe Clement in passionate Rangers address as he roars 'I'm a winner' and will NEVER throw in the towel

READ MORE: Erik Ten Hag and Marcus Rashford reunion talk ramps up as ex Man Utd duo linked with German giants

Clement has been under the cosh at various points this season. But after revealing he’ll never quit the job, he says he’s not looking for an arm round his shoulder either. Ahead of Wednesday's must-win game against Aberdeen, he said: “It’s not about me. It’s about this club and the people.

ffff

“I get satisfaction from that, not how many trophies I win. Or as a player, how many appearances for the national team I got or whatever. I never got any satisfaction from that. I get satisfaction from doing things with people together, to create something special. When I was young I had to make the choice between tennis and football because I did both well at a good level.

“I chose football because it was about being together with other people. Not tennis, because I’m sometimes alone. That’s what it’s about for me. Do I regret that decision? No, totally not. I love tennis too. I watch on Netflix the series about the tennis players and I know I made the right choice.

“I see how they are alone, or maybe only with two or three people. They travel all over the world like that, staying in a hotel room. No, I am happy to be surrounded with so many engaged people. People with so much passion. There are so many challenges here but I know I made the right decision. I’m sure about that.”

But how does he cope with the stress and strain of being second best in Glasgow? Since the summer when transfer budgets were cut at Ibrox, Clement has been under the cosh. Going out of the Champions League early was a body blow and the gap between themselves and Celtic appears to have widened. But he’s convinced he can fix it.

When asked who looks out for him during bad times, he said: “I feel a lot of sympathy in this building from people who know what I’ve been doing every day for this club. That’s the only important thing. I don’t need people to give me a hug or surround me, I’m past that period.

“I know what this job is and which way I want to go with this club. I want everybody to unite around that and then we need to work hard. Is it the easiest way? No, but that’s what makes it more challenging. Is it hard to switch off from the job? I don’t have any different feelings to how I was three or six months ago.

"Because I’m sure that if we continue to do what this club has been doing – with less budget than in the past – that we can do really good things. You can already see the first fruits coming out of the story with Hamza Igamane, Jefte and Clinton Nsiala.

“Working on that longer term will get this club to the level it should be. Also, you saw the way this team can play in the Old Firm and European games. It’s about creating the consistency to do that every three days.”

Clement is nothing if not single-minded but even the best coaches, like Pep Guardiola, have doubts about their ability when they go through rough patches.

The Belgian admits he HAS got decisions wrong this term. But it won’t derail his ultimate goal of improving Rangers and getting them challenging for titles again.

He said: “I doubt, for sure, some decisions I made. I have made mistakes. That’s part of this job. Also, there is nobody who only does the right things. But I don’t doubt our story. I know working longer on this will get success. I know that from the past.

“I know from my experience of 30 years of being a manager. So we need to continue in this way. We don’t have much room for error but that only makes the challenge bigger. I’m not busy with that, honestly. It’s not about people behind me or believing in me.

“It’s just about believing in the squad and working hard with everybody at the club. I know there are so many people here determined to get this club back where it was quite a while ago. They are motivated to do that and I want to help with that. So I’m not somebody who lives thinking of revenge. It’s just about getting the best out of every day and improving.”