Jose Mourinho inspiring Rangers trophy drive as Philippe Clement namechecks his box office contact

Philippe Clement is learning to sniff out trouble in Glasgow. But the new Rangers boss admits he might need to keep an even greater watch over his step if he’s to avoid unwanted headlines under the intrusive lens of the city’s microscope.

Managing the Old Firm has always come with a certain expectation that those occupying positions of power have to accept they’re now public property. But that’s still something the big Belgian is getting used to. For example, when a trip to a city centre restaurant was picked up online, it caught the former Club Brugge and Monaco gaffer by surprise.

Maybe not as shocked as former Germany boss Joachim Lowe, who was forced to issue a mortifying apology when images of his scratch and sniff gaff at the 2014 World Cup were beamed round the globe after being caught on camera. But it was that incident that sprang to Clement’s mind as he was quizzed on events after Wednesday’s win at Tynecastle.

The Ibrox gaffer’s only motivation as he shook Lawrence Shankland’s hand was to congratulate the Hearts hitman on a hard shift. What he wasn’t expecting was a flurry of headlines proposing that the embrace was a hint at an impending swoop for the Gorgie ace. It’s a lesson learned to avoid situations that might create a stink.

Clement said: “You guys have written a lot about that already but I’m never going to speak about players and whether I’m interested or not in them. I hear that some people really watch me a lot. I knew it already in the city because I once went to a restaurant and it was all over the place. So it’s a bit special that way!

“I need to think really good in future about what I do every second of that day. I don’t want to come in and see the same situation as the German national team