AS a mentor, Gerard Houllier was like a second father. And in his absence, he’s always had Rafa Benitez or Alex McLeish on the end of a phone.
On top of that, after a career at the top level in France, England, Scotland and Spain, Gregory Vignal has a network of contacts that most football managers could only dream of. Lyon’s sporting director Bruno Cheyrou and PSG’s Yohan Cabaye are just two of the game's major players he has on speed dial. On his way from Montpellier to Liverpool, to Rangers and to Lens - the Frenchman has collected a wealth of experience.
And now he wants to put it all to good use by becoming a top class coach. For the last couple of seasons, he's worked with Dundee’s reserve side, while picking up every UEFA badge there is. He's helped to develop the likes of youngsters Josh Mulligan, Lyall Cameron and Finlay Robertson, who are tipped to light up the Scottish Premiership next term.
And Vignal believes, if he’s given the right opportunity, that he can flourish as a first-team manager in his own right. Legendary French boss Houllier was a great sounding board for him before he passed away three years ago.
But he knows ex-bosses Benitez and McLeish are only ever a call away. At 41, he feels he’s ready to take the next step on a journey that has led to him calling Scotland home.
In an exclusive interview with Mailsport, he said: “I’ve taken on a lot of good advice from special people in the game over the years.
“I’m talking specifically about Gerard. He was unbelievable with me and was like my second dad.
“Rafa has also been very helpful to me - I spoke to him on the phone just a few ago. Alex has been a big mentor and we’re still really close. He’s a good advisor to me. And also Gordon Strachan at Dundee was excellent with me.
“I’m talking about big managers in the game. So I’ve had to listen and take in all of their information.
“Now, I’m ready to use it. Once you take it all in, it would be crazy not to use it.
“It’s important to collect everything you can from these men. But also, I want to be myself as a coach.
“I have to bring my own methodology to any job. I have my own philosophy and how I see the game.
“I realise it’s a new generation but I’ve tried to mix the French style with British and also Spanish, because these are the leagues I played in.”
Nothing has come easy in life to Vignal. Growing up in the tough La Paillade area of Montpellier as a kid, his father Gil was his biggest inspiration.
He taught his son that success would only be achieved by hard graft. That’s why he went on to play for some of the continent’s top clubs.
As a player, he says he thrived on pressure. That’s why he’s determined to show he can deal with the intensity of being in the dug-out.
The Frenchman has already worked at youth level for Montpellier, Rangers and Marseille, where he helped to nurture talent like Congo international Bryan Passi, Scotland ace Nathan Patterson and Senegal striker Bamba Dieng.
But he’s convinced he can take his coaching up a notch in the right environment. He said: “I’ve been under pressure my whole life. Since I was a kid, where I came from, I was under pressure.
“I grew up in an area in Montpellier where we had nothing. I had to fight every day to get to where I wanted to go.
“I got that from my own dad. He had to fight every day to put food on the table for us.
“It was a tough, difficult area to grow up in. But it gave me the desire to be who I am now.
“It’s been a long journey for me but now I’m looking ahead. I’ve been at Montpellier as an assistant reserve coach. That was my first year working for a professional club.
“Then I had three years at Rangers doing different jobs in the academy, with the women’s team and the first team. At Marseille, I worked with the youngsters but I also got a chance to work with some of their reserve and first team players.
“At Dundee, I was a coach in the academy and worked with the reserves too. So I have a mix of working with young boys and experienced first-team players.
“The last 10 years have been really good for me as a coach, in terms of what I’ve picked up. It has given me time to pass all my coaching badges.
“I have every UEFA qualification now, including one to be a specific defensive coach. So I’ve taken my time. It hasn’t been easy but now everything is in place and I’m ready to take the next step in my career.
“I’m 41 years old and I have really good people around me. But I have to be given an opportunity.”
For a French coach in the UK, those can be rare. But Vignal is adamant that his chance will come. He was close to being appointed as Queen's Park's new head coach before the Spiders opted for Dutchman Robin Veldman.
He wants to finally utilise those friends and contacts from around the world, which he feels could be hugely beneficial to any club he works for. He said: “I have a good network of contacts around the world which I think can help me as a manager or coach.
“It’s simple when you think of my old team-mates. I speak to people like Maxi Rodriguez in Argentina, Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen, Fabio Aurelio in Brazil.
“Jerzy Dudek in Poland, Vladimir Smicer in Czech Republic. And of course, Steven Gerrard who I played with at Liverpool then worked under at Rangers. In France, I speak with Cabaye who is the sports co-ordinator at PSG, Bruno at Lyon who I was with at Anfield.
“It’s great for me because they trust me. So I can use them if I’m given an opportunity.
“When I’m a manager, they can help me to bring young players over here. To know people like them - and to have their trust - could be really important for me.
“Especially when you’re talking about quality. If you don’t believe you can reach the top, don’t do the job. That’s how I look at it.
“As a player, Houllier always said to me that if I worked hard and believed in myself, my chance would come. And he was right. But you have to prove it, of course.
“As a manager nowadays, you don’t get time. You have to win every week, especially at massive clubs because the expectation is so high. When you’re at a small club, you’re under pressure to survive. So it’s a tough job.
“There isn’t much stability so it’s getting tougher. For me to get an opportunity, maybe it will take a club to want something new.
“I have to find the right place, the right club and the right project. What I would say is that it’s easier when you know the league and the players. Obviously, I have that in Scotland. I know the environment here, so hopefully that should help me.”
Vignal admits the feeling he got as a Rangers player is like nothing else he’s experienced in his career. The Frenchman moved to Ibrox on loan from Liverpool in 2004 and stayed for a season.
He was desperate to stay under Alex McLeish but was sold by the Anfield club to Portsmouth. The impact Rangers had on Vignal has stayed with him.
So much so that when he got the chance to work at the club as a coach in the academy and with the women’s team in 2017, he moved his family to Scotland. The 41-year-old says the winning mentality that is ingrained on the fabric of the club is unmatched anywhere.
“I fell in love with Rangers when I came to Scotland," he said. “I had the chance to come back to work for the club in 2017, so we decided as a family to buy a house here and stay.
“Even when I went back to Marseille after working at Rangers, we continued to live here. I love the British style of game.
“The reason I fell in love with Rangers is the mentality of the club and the expectations from the fans. You must be a winner every week at Ibrox and get trophies.
“My ambition as a coach or a manager now is to win silverware. That’s the way I am so Rangers suited me. It’s a proper club where you have to be successful.
“You can’t find excuses there. You must have that mentality, even under pressure. And I love that.
“People have asked me why I’m in Scotland and not back in France enjoying the sun. But I say, no chance. I love the intensity of the British game. The desire here is superb - and Rangers epitomise that.”
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