RFS have announced the addition of former Liverpool and Rangers player Grégory Vignal, who has joined the coaching staff as Head of Youth Development for the first team.
During his career, the 43-year-old Frenchman played for such clubs as Liverpool, Rangers, Rennes, Espanyol, Southampton, Lens, and Kaiserslautern.
With Liverpool, he won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup, with Rangers he won the Scottish Championship and League Cup, and with Lens, he triumphed in the second division of France football as well as became the U-18 European champion with France.
Due to numerous injuries, he had to cut his professional career short in 2013 and later on turned to coaching. He worked with young players at Montpellier and Rangers, later becoming the first-team’s scout, and for some time worked in the coaching staff of Steven Gerrard, his former teammate.
In 2019, Vignal became the head coach of the Rangers women’s team, contributing to the development of women’s football at the famous club. Later, he also managed to gain experience by working at Olympique Marseille and Dundee, but his last place of work was the French club Versailles, which plays in the third division of France.
Vignal already got to know the RFS organization at their pre-season training camp in Turkey, and the Frenchman has now arrived in Latvia and joined the club’s coaching staff.
From the first day I felt the good atmosphere at RFS. I am sure that this will be a great experience getting to know a new culture. The RFS philosophy is based on the development of young players and the mentality of winners.
Vignal also added saying:
After my previous experience in Versailles, where I worked as a head coach, it was important for me to try myself in a new environment. I am ready to transfer all my experience and knowledge to the young players of RFS, as well as to be an assistant to the coaching staff of our first team. I would like to thank the club’s sports director Aleksandrs Usovs for this opportunity. A very interesting challenge awaits me!
