Cyril Ngonge, a striker headed to Napoli, has disclosed how Rangers boss Philippe Clement rejected him as a child and why that ultimately helped him seal a £20 million move to the Italian champions.
The Verona player, who has been linked to Arsenal and a number of other elite teams in Europe, has decided to move to the Naples club in exchange for the enormous amount. However, Ibrox manager Clement once gave Ngonge, the son of former Kilmarnock player Michel, permission to leave Brugge five years ago because he didn’t think highly of him.
Before being granted permission to relocate permanently to RKC Waalwijk, where he demonstrated sufficient talent to secure a transfer to Italy, the 23-year-old was sent out on loan by Clement to Jong PSV. He then turned to face Clement after he had informed him he wouldn’t make it. Ngonge stated: “When I was eighteen, I started a few games for Brugge, including a Champions League matchup against Atletico Madrid.
However, Philippe Clement arrived a few months later, and I participated in the club’s summer preseason. However, he summoned me to his office and informed me that he intended to purchase a replacement player for my role.
“I didn’t take his advice to go on loan very well at the time. Looking back, I wish things had ended in a different way.
“I think that’s why I lost out on developmental time, and I could have reached my current point sooner. But through the good times and the bad, those years in the Netherlands truly formed me as a man and as a player. In any case, I have no regrets. I’m okay with my journey as it is, even though I needed some time to reach my breakthrough.”