Norwich City have appointed Philippe Clement as their new head coach, with the former Rangers boss agreeing a contract at Carrow Road until the summer of 2029.
Clement, 51, has been out of work since leaving Rangers in February of this year. He left Ibrox with the club 13 points behind Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic with 11 games to go, with the club also in the last 16 of the Europa League.
He replaces Liam Manning, who was sacked before the November international break after seven losses in eight Championship games.
Norwich were previously looking at former Sweden boss John Dahl Tomasson, with Gary O’Neil also in the running.
But Tomasson removed himself from the process on Monday night after the two parties were unable to come to an agreement following their talks.
Sky Sports News reported last week that Norwich also held talks with former Wolves and Bournemouth manager O’Neil. However, those discussions did not progress. It is understood O’Neil is willing to be patient for the right opportunity to present itself.
Clement won the Scottish League Cup with Rangers in 2024 and took them to the last 16 of the Europa League
Clement was replaced by Barry Ferguson on an interim basis at Rangers and have since hired two permanent successors to the Belgian since then in Russell Martin and current boss Danny Röhl.
At the time of Clement’s Rangers’ departure, he was the fifth-shortest-serving permanent manager in the Ibrox club’s history, being in charge for 498 days, despite having a win percentage of 64 per cent and winning the Scottish League Cup in 2024.
Clement has also won three Belgian top-flight titles in his career – back-to-back trophies in 2021 with Club Brugge and another one with Genk in 2019. He also had a spell at French side Monaco for 18 months, ending in June 2023.
“I’m really excited by this story and opportunity,” said Clement, who will be joined at Carrow Road by coach Stephan Van Der Heyden.
“I’ve known of this club for a long time and, whilst we are not in a good moment at this time, we are excited to work together with the players and staff to turn things around.
“Meeting with the owners and hearing some of their ambitions for the club, it really convinced me that this is the best move. They have big plans for the future but, of course, our job in the short term is to turn around the current situation and get everyone believing again.
“I also see the potential in the club and the group of players, and feel totally ready for the challenge ahead.”
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The Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast takes on the managerial situation at Norwich City
Meanwhile, Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper added: “We’re all incredibly excited to welcome Philippe and Stephan to Norwich City.
“As soon as we knew there was a chance to bring them here, there was no hesitation. Philippe is an incredibly experienced and prominent head coach, with clear values and beliefs that align with ours. He will bring a strong leadership presence and an impressive background having coached some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
“Throughout the recruitment process, his methodical approach and detailed analysis of where we currently are, as well as his desire to move things forward, were clear for us all to see.
“We now have an incredible amount of work ahead of us to ensure we improve performances and results, and we will do everything possible to ensure Philippe has our full backing and support.”
Was Clement’s Rangers stint a success or failure?
Sky Sports News Scotland Editor Sahil Jaidka:
Some Norwich fans might look at Clement’s 16-month spell at Ibrox and think his appointment is a risk.
After all, he won just one League Cup, and when he was sacked, he was the fifth shortest serving permanent manager in Rangers’ history.
However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, and there is reason for optimism at Carrow Road.
When the Belgian boss arrived in Glasgow, Rangers were in a rut – both on the field and off it.
However, he lifted a group of players that were bereft of confidence and quickly implemented the dominant style of play that he promised from day one.
Rangers passed the ball about with authority, took control of games, scored goals, kept teams out at the other end and most importantly – they won. In fact, the seven-point gap to Celtic when he arrived had disappeared within months. Clement led Rangers to unbeaten runs lasting 16 games, and then 14 matches, separated only by a defeat to their Old Firm rivals.
He also won that League Cup trophy – Rangers’ first since 2011 – and got to the Scottish Cup semis, plus Europa League last-16.
The first six months were impressive. There was a clear plan on the pitch, the fans had a figurehead they believed in, and the players were performing.
However, things then took a turn and, in truth, Clement never really recovered.
A defeat in Dingwall and a draw in Dundee took the wind out of the sails. While only two more losses followed that season, they were both against Celtic, who went on to seal the title and then beat Clement’s side in the Scottish Cup.
From a great start, that season ended on a sour note. Nevertheless, Clement was handed a new deal ahead of his first full campaign, but in truth, he never looked like keeping his job until the end of that season.
There were off-field problems that didn’t help, be it moving away from Ibrox due to construction delays, boardroom change and having to overhaul his squad, as key players left to cut the wage bill and younger projects arrived.
Clement didn’t need to look far for issues out of his control.
However, when it came to leading that new group to get results, it never happened. That dominant style disappeared. Rangers were guilty of playing in their own half, passing from side to side, conceding more goals and scoring less.
There were off-field issues too, with players like ex-Norwich star Todd Cantwell among those to depart under a dark cloud after falling out of favour. Clement did things his way and didn’t tolerate those who didn’t follow.
It was no surprise there was Champions League woe, a horror run of results on the road that saw Rangers drop 32 Premiership points from 48 and a League Cup final defeat to Celtic. Clement was feeling the heat.
Although he did eventually achieve a first Old Firm win and reached the Europa League last-16, he then led Rangers to one of the club’s worst results as they lost to second-tier Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox.
Clement refused to quit. He remained confident he would fix things. In the end, that decision was taken out of his own hands.
If you’re a glass-half-full fan, then you will hold onto the first six months of Clement’s Rangers spell and believe the struggles were down to factors outside of his control. If you’re glass-half-empty, you might be waiting for things to go wrong – even if there is a positive start.
One thing is for sure – Clement will stick to his beliefs and try to play his way. He is a no-nonsense manager. He has shown he can turn struggling squads around – his challenge will be to make a positive impact and sustain it for longer than he did at Ibrox.
Watch six out of Clement’s first eight Norwich games on Sky!
All Championship fixtures
November 22: Birmingham (A), kick-off 3pm
November 25: Oxford Utd (H), kick-off 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports+
November 29: QPR (H), kick-off 3pm
December 6: Watford (a), kick-off 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports+
December 9: Sheffield United (A), kick-off 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports+
December 13: Southampton (H), kick-off 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Football
December 20: Preston (A), kick-off 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports+
December 26: Charlton (H), kick-off 3pm, live on Sky Sports+
