Former Real Madrid assistant coach Paul Clement has worked with some of the absolute best in the business.
The English manager was right-hand man to Carlo Ancelotti not only at the Spanish club, but also at Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich – a role which has seen him cross paths with many global superstars.
At each of the four clubs, Clement contributed to at least one trophy win with some of the highlights including Chelsea’s 2010 domestic double victory, Real Madrid’s 2014 Champions League win and PSG’s 2013 Ligue 1 triumph.
The 52-year-old has also since taken up the role of manager at clubs like Derby County, Swansea City and Reading.
But speaking to Ally McCoist and Andy Townsend on talkSPORT Breakfast, Clement admitted that of all the players he has had the privilege of working with, there is one who ranks a cut above the rest.
He told talkSPORT: “I’ve worked with some great players across the different clubs, Chelsea, PSG, Bayern and obviously Real Madrid. And there’s a group of players – I think the list is even too long to mention – but at Chelsea (John Terry), (Frank Lampard), Ashley Cole, (Didier) Drogba – outstanding players.
“You go to PSG and Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) is there, (David) Beckham, Thiago Silva – great players.
“Bayern was full of incredible talent. (Arjen) Robben, (Franck) Ribery (Robert) Lewandoswki, (Thomas) Muller, (Philipp) Lahm, (Manuel) Neuer – they had a great team at that point.
“And then Madrid, well, (Gareth) Bale, (Karim) Benzema, (Sergio) Ramos, (Luka) Modric, Toni Kroos – a lot of good players!
“But the standout one is Cristiano (Ronaldo).”
Ronaldo won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid – plus, the one he won with Man United.
And when pushed to explain why the Portuguese forward trumped all others, Clement explained that it was his approach to football both on and off the pitch that set him apart.
“Every game it was like you started with a 1-0 or 2-0 head-start,” he said. “I mean, he was so consistent with his scoring. The first season he scored 51… 51! It used to be 25, 30 was good. And the second season he scored 60. And he’d done that the previous years under [Jose] Mourinho and he continued it as well.
“He was an amazing talent. People often ask did he work harder than anyone else. No, not necessarily but he managed his life, his profession better than anybody else.
“Some of the sacrifices he made, the rest, his understanding of diet and nutrition, the recovery – he did that better than anyone else. He really was so, so high level on the professional side.”
Clement was the assistant coach at Real Madrid between 2013 and 2015, meaning he overlapped with Ronaldo during the middle part of his time with the Spanish club.
The striker spent nine years with Real Madrid, winning a staggering fifteen trophies during that period.
Even during the two seasons that Clement overlapped with Ronaldo, the club won the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the inaugural Club World Cup.
The hugely successful assistant manager-turned-manager left his most recent role as first team coach at Everton in January 2023, but he told talkSPORT he was keen to get back into a management role in the near future.
With twenty years of management experience under his belt, Clement reflected on what his experiences had taught him – including how to get the best out of players who sometimes had big egos.
He said: “I remember a great quote from (Arsene) Wenger who said: what do you want to have, a hard week and an easy weekend, or an easy week and a hard weekend?
Clement was full of praise for Chelsea’s 2010 Premier League-winning side. Now he is keen to re-enter the managerial world and take on a new challenge for himself.
“I remember my days at Chelsea when I was a young coach, there was a strong dressing room, you know (Terry), (Lampard), Drogba, (Michael) Essien, (Petr) Cech, (Michael) Ballack – all those guys. And you know, they tested you, especially as a young coach. But they delivered at the weekend, they delivered. So you know, that’s what you want.
“Do the biggest players have big egos? Yeah, they do. But they need it. They need it to deal with the pressure, to play at the highest level and it’s about being confident in your ability even when things are not going well.”
talkSPORT
