Cyril Ngonge, a former protégé of Philippe Clement, has thought back on his time at Club Brugge and how the now-Rangers manager hindered his ascent to the top.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has had a great start to the season and, prior to Napoli’s approach, Aston Villa and AC Milan reportedly expressed interest in the player. He hopes to make his international breakthrough with the Belgian national team this summer.
According to trade guru Fabrizio Romano, Ngone, the son of former Kilmarnock hero Michel, is about to complete one of the biggest deals of the January transfer window. His anticipated £20 million move to Italian champions Napoli is now almost certain.
Ngone met Clement when he was a member of Club Brugge. Ngone had only recently made his debut for the senior squad, appearing in four league games and one Champions League match in the 2018–19 campaign.
Ngone, who was 19 years old at the time, had high hopes for his second full season of playing in the first team, but new manager Clement had other ideas and believed the attacker wasn’t nearly ready to be a part of his plans.
“I was 18 and I was given a few starts at Brugge, including against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League,” Ngone said, reflecting on his encounter with Clement. However, once Philippe Clement moved in a few months, I participated in the club’s summer pre-season. 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,” he said. I wish things had ended differently now that I’m looking back The Belgian’s path took him on loan to Jong PSV during a season in which, under Clement’s leadership, his parent team Club Brugge won the championship. Ngone had long stints at FC Groningen and RKC Waalwijk before joining Hellas Verona at the beginning of the previous campaign referring to his leaving Club Brugge. “I probably lost time in my development because of that, and I might have reached where I am now earlier,” Ngone continued.
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.”
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