Cutting a looming figure at 6ft 2in (1.88m) and tipping the scales at a hefty 13st 9lb (87kg), Clinton Nsiala-Makengo, born under the French skies on 17 January 2004, takes to the field as a central defender for the Rangers. I tip my hat to the lad for celebrating his 20th birthday within this year. Now, on to the tartan-clad elephant in the room, the Celtic past that quite conspicuously doesn't exist. This chap is a Ranger, in body and soul, and sports the number 19 on his back; a Celtic past isn't hidden behind it, I'm afraid.
Before gracing the Scottish Premiership league with his talented feet and forehead (given he's a central defender), Nsiala had taken a rather scenic tour across the footballing landscapes of Europe. In the summer of 2021, he bid adieu to Nantes, bade his time in France's Ligue 1 and set sails for the Italian city that prides itself on fashion and football in equal measures - Milan. Rubbing shoulders with the footballing elites in AC Milan, he cut his teeth in one of the toughest leagues in the world, the Serie A.
Let's not get too attached though, as a quick three-year stint was enough to satiate Nsiala's appetite for pasta and Puccini, and in July 2024, he switched his Rossoneri stripes for the blue of Rangers. Now, he plies his trade in our dear Premiership, constantly reminding us Celtic fans of our non-existent hold on his past. Isn't life just grand?
