Abdallah Sima in Rangers plea to Philippe Clement for Benfica before boss launches hilarious Dujon Sterling one liner.

Philippe Clement explained how Abdallah Sima is anxious to join the Rangers squad on the journey to Lisbon this week – despite still being weeks away from full health.

The Ibrox boss used the tale to showcase the solidarity in the Light Blues squad during a special live show with Rangers legend Graeme Souness at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow on Sunday evening. Clement announced ahead of the weekend game against Motherwell that Sima – on loan from Brighton – is ready to return the training ground for the first time since suffering up a thigh injury while on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

But before of Thursday’s Europa League last-16 first leg encounter against Benfica – thumped 5-0 by arch rivals Porto on Sunday – in Portugal Clement informed Souness and the audience: “This morning Abdallah Sima came into my office. He will be out yet several weeks – he’s working on his recovery – and he requested ‘Gaffer, can I come together with the team to Lisbon’.

“There is an amazing, amazing atmosphere in the dressing room now. It was not the situation four months ago. But it is now. They all want to be there, they all want to be together.

“The new men who came in also have blended incredibly fast because of the other boys in the dressing room. There is one coming the evening with Jack (Butland). So we have numerous really leader types doing the really fantastic things for the group. Everyone in the facility – people working in the kitchen, the green keepers, people working in the Academy… they all feel this can be a really wonderful season. And we are going to work incredibly hard for it.”

Goalkeeper Butland appeared as a special guest on the night to the delight of the crowd who belted out his new terrace chant to the tune of Status Quo’s Rocking All Over the World and Clement raised a laugh when, with a nod to the versatility of Dujon Sterling, he said: “Jack knows if he doesn’t do as he is supposed to do then I will just put Dujon in goals!”

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