He is the godfather of one of Philippe Clément’s sons.
They played together at Club Brugge and also at the World Cup in France 98 with Belgium.
And now, Clement has named his friend, Stephan van der Heyden, as the Rangers’ No. 2.
To say that Vital Borkelmans has close ties to the new Ibrox boss would be an understatement.
He is convinced that Gers have selected the player who will end Celtic’s dominance.
Borkelmans SunSport: “Rangers have named very well.
“Philippe Clément is a selection for the club’s situation.
“He’ll know he’s prepared to get the most out of existing players.
“But he’s exceptionally clever when it comes to giving players confidence. It has human management skills. I’m sure it will make the players better. “
Borkelmans sees in his friend Clément a “quiet” character who is now in a position to make a lot of noise in Glasgow.
He fired Michael Beale, a 22-game rookie, when he replaced the fired Giovanni van Bronckhorst in November 2022.
But in Clément, the Gers board of directors, heavily influenced by club legend Graeme Souness in the interview procedure, recruited someone with a genuine pedigree.
Three Belgian Pro League titles with Genk and Brugge, and a Super Cup, while in the latter there were also notable effects in the Champions League against Real Madrid, Zenit St. Petersburg, PSG and RB Leipzig.
An 18-month stint at Monaco may not have gone exactly as planned (he bowed out in June with a 51 per cent win rate), but it still improved Clément’s experience at a big club.
Borkelmans now believes he is perfectly positioned to chase down Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic, who already hold a seven-point lead at most heading into a return to Premiership action this weekend.
The 60-year-old, who was also Belgium’s No. 2 when he had a team with Vincent Kompany, Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, added: “Philippe is one of the most positive people I know. . I know that, and you can see that in the way he likes his groups to play.
“Clément is a coach who prefers a 4-3-3 with two great wingers and he has been very lucky in Belgium.
“Like most fashion coaches, he can be flexible when needed. It will compare the quality of existing players and which one is best.
“However, Rangers are a huge club, just like Celtic, and they will have them in mind in attack for the maximum number of games.
“In his own career, Philippe is a defensive player, but as a coach and manager he feels otherwise, attacking is his path. You can put pressure on Clement and there will be a lot for him at the Rangers. But he’s going to take care of him, there’s no strain for him.
“Rangers are a club with a reputation all over the world.
“They have a huge fan base who are absolutely committed to the club and ask for the best.
“But that probably wouldn’t worry Philippe, because for all that he would have accepted the assignment.
“He’s a very experienced coach and I’m sure the players will train with him.
“The Rangers will now be a fixed team. Clement will be fair to the players: any player who isn’t selected won’t ask why, they’ll tell him.
“Celtic have won most trophies for a long time, although they have a very intelligent manager.
“It’s a big challenge for everyone, but I’m sure Philippe will take Rangers to the top again.
“He’s the user in the position now.
“It takes time, but he has the qualities as a coach and coach to succeed in Scotland.
“We have a long history in football. We had many moments of satisfaction at Brugge, a club that means a lot to any of us, and we were also proud teammates with Belgium at the World Cup in France.
“These are moments we will forget.
“I’m godfather to his son Keanu and he’s nice.
“Philippe and I have shared a lot as teammates and friends and I like it a lot.
“He’s calm in the locker room, but every time he speaks he’s very transparent, with a positive message and he’s a leader on the pitch.
“He has earned the good fortune of his career thanks to his attitude and the way he acts.
“It’s an opportunity for him at the Rangers. “
Of course, it is up to Borkelmans to hide his bias.
And the same goes for Clément’s choice for his right-hand man at Gers: Van der Heyden.
Borkelmans said: “Stephan is my most productive friend and also my assistant when I coach the Jordanian national team.
“We worked together for three-and-a-half years and I gave him a lot of confidence.
“I was hoping to take back control and have Stephan re-sign for me when he got the chance.
“But I understand what this opportunity means to him now at Rangers.
“Philippe and Stephan know each other very well at Club Brugge. They both speak several languages.
“He’s a wonderful assistant coach. But most importantly, he’s also a smart person.
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