I'm a Rangers title winner coaching in Latvia and my team would be top three in Scottish Premiership

Daily Record

11-06-2025

Gregory Vignal admits Rangers would be one of his dream jobs but he's happy cutting his teeth with RFS for now
He's the Rangers title-winning hero who is now earning his stripes as a coach at Latvia's top club.
And he admits that in the future, his dream job would be as Ibrox gaffer.
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But for now, Gregory Vignal is happy learning his trade at Riga outfit RFS.
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And the former Gers and Liverpool star has claimed that if his new team were in the Scottish Premiership - they'd finish in the top THREE.
Vignal is now a fully qualified coach with a UEFA Pro Licence under his belt and he's fluent in three different languages.
He still calls Scotland his home after falling in love with Rangers during a loan spell in Glasgow under Alex McLeish 20 years ago.
Vignal was part of their legendary Helicopter Sunday title-winning side and also lifted a League Cup at Hampden.
He's now a budding coach and had already been a manager in his own right after a short spell at French third division club Versailles.
The 43-year-old is keen to broaden his horizons at the start of his coaching journey and has now taken up a short-term post in Viktors Morozs' backroom team at RFS.
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They're the Latvian league champions who have competed in the Europa League for the past two seasons.
RFS have beaten Ajax and drawn with the likes of Anderlecht - and Vignal is impressed by their set-up.
So much so, he's convinced that if they were in the SPFL, they'd be up there challenging the Old Firm.
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Vignal told Record Sport: 'Honestly, RFS would finish in the top three of the Scottish Premiership. I'm telling you, of course they would.
'People there might be surprised but it's true. We are good enough to be in the top three in Scotland.
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'Even in my last job at Versailles, it was bigger than a lot of jobs in Scotland - and that was the French third tier.
'We had a £6million budget and for games against Red Star FC in Paris, we had a crowd of around 12,000 people at the game.
'So the job I had there, if you compare with some clubs in Scotland, it was bigger.
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'Here at RFS, we have quality players.
'In the Europa League in recent years, they've done really well against good teams.
"The standard is good and that's why I wanted to come here, to see it with my own eyes.
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'When you get an opportunity like this you have to take it.'
Vignal is determined to become a top coach and, thanks to his time at Ibrox and Anfield, has some stellar contacts in the game like McLeish, Rafa Benitez, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard.
During a recent trip back to Liverpool, he spoke with Benitez and Gerrard - who was recently linked with a return as Rangers manager before Russell Martin was appointed.
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Vignal believes the prestigious post would also have interested the Champions League-winning Spaniard.
And for him, it's something he'd love to experience himself in the future.
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He said: 'Of course, I want to be a number one coach but you have to wait and work for the right opportunity.
'If you're lazy, you can't reach your target.
'My dream job? First, it would be to manage a big team in France. But then, of course, if I could manage a club like Rangers it would be amazing.
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'Everyone knows I love that football club. Liverpool would also be a dream - but I'm not the only coach who wants these jobs!
'I'm dreaming big but I think you have to. If you don't, you stand still. I know what I have to do but you need a chance.
'Every top coach has to start somewhere. Gerard Houllier always told me that. He believed in me.
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'I speak to Rafa, Alex and also Gordon Strachan for good advice. I've even had good conversations with Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness recently.
'I met Rafa in Liverpool and we spoke about the Rangers job before Russell got it.
'He's not working at a club right now, he's with UEFA.
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'But if Rangers would have considered him? Of course he would have been interested.
'I also spoke to Steven and joked with him. I asked if he'd got his apartment in Glasgow ready!
'All of those types of guys have been in the game a long time so I have to listen to them and be really humble.
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'I trust myself and my ability. Hopefully my day will come.'
Vignal is enjoying working with players from different countries at RFS.
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He hopes he's proved his commitment to becoming a top coach by stepping out of his comfort zone and going to Latvia.
Vignal, who is attracting interest from English clubs, said: 'I've been really surprised by how good the club is, in terms of its organisation and structure.
'People think you're only properly working in football if you're at a club in the top five leagues.
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'That's totally wrong. Even in a small country like Latvia, some of these clubs now are so well run.
'Riga is a beautiful city and I'm really enjoying it.
'And since I arrived here, my phone has started ringing more. It's as if work leads to more work, if you understand.
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'It feels like I'm getting my coaching career on track now.
'I hope people see that commitment is a big part of my character.
'Even if it's not an easy way, I'm not afraid to take it.
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'I'm willing to make sacrifices to get to where I want to go.
'It is a multi-cultural dressing-room with players from lots of different countries like Brazil, Ivory Coast and Serbia.
'I hope that's another reason why I got the job because I speak three languages myself, French, English and Spanish.
'In terms of my profile, that definitely adds to it. That kind of thing can only be good for me.'