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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
David Irvine

Pascal Jansen admits 'surprise' over links to Rangers manager job

Pascal Jansen has revealed he was "surprised" to be linked with a move to Rangers.

The AZ Alkmaar manager was linked as a potential successor to Michael Beale at Ibrox.

However, the Ibrox hierarchy decided on Philippe Clement as the man to take on the role in the dugout.

Jansen, though, was flattered to even be mentioned in the conversation to become the next Rangers manager - even if he's happy in his current role in the Netherlands.

Speaking to Sky Sports about the Rangers links, Jansen commented: "That Rangers talk caught me by surprise. It flatters me, of course, because Rangers are a massive club and I have dreams and ambitions. But it does not make me do my job differently. I just keep working hard to make my players better than yesterday.

"I am very happy with this job at the moment, working at a fantastic club, working with elite players and helping to improve young players. Even though we are a smaller club than the other three and we have a far lower budget, we are still trying to achieve silverware."

When Jansen was linked to Rangers, some detractors ha questioned his suitability for the position with Ruud Gullit suggesting there is a distinct difference in clubs where there is a need to win, compared with a want to win.

In response, Jansen added; "It was interesting to hear. There are clubs that are must-win clubs, I realise that. But I know that the pressure within AZ is always there. The pressure I put on myself every day is far more pressure than anyone could imagine.

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