Rangers' forgotten 99 man likely to get more chances to catch Philippe Clement's eye after big-stage cameo
Bored Rangers fans at work might just have switched on the BBC iPlayer at around 3.20pm on Monday to catch sight of one of their forgotten players.
As the clock struck 62 minutes in the Euro 2024 Group E match between Romania and Ukraine in Munich, the lesser-spotted Ianis Hagi was introduced to proceedings. The 25-year-old playmaker still has a contract at Ibrox for another two seasons after signing from Genk four years ago. The last time he was in a Rangers shirt was way back on August 19, 2023, when he played 34 minutes of a 2-1 win over Morton in the League Cup.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThat was his 99th appearance for Rangers, as shortly afterwards he was shipped off to Alaves in Spain's La Liga. He helped the Basque club to a very respectable tenth-placed finish. He played 22 games - the majority from the bench - and the Spaniards are very unlikely to make the move a permanent one.


Does Hagi have a future at Ibrox? The manager has changed since his exit last summer, with Michael Beale replaced by Philippe Clement. His father, the famous Romanian player Gheorghe Hagi, has never been shy at promoting his son. "At Rangers, he was their best young player when they won the league," Hagi snr said recently. "He is not going anywhere, he was just loaned to Alaves. There are many opportunities for him. People need to remember and everyone seems to forget that he has recovered from a very, very serious knee injury. He still has around 11 years left of his career injury permitting. There is more to come."
The point on the knee injury is certainly a valid one. Rangers fans have not seen the best of Hagi since he spent a year on the sidelines following damage to anterior cruciate ligament and collateral ligament following a collision in the 4-0 win over Stirling Albion in January 2022. Such a blow takes time to recover from.
Hagi is now fully fit and has remained an integral part of the Romania squad that topped a qualification group that included Switzerland, Scotland's next opponents at Euro 2024. They were written off by many ahead of this tournament, principally because they don't score many goals. Their final warm-up match was a desperate 0-0 draw with Liechtenstein but all that was irrelevant in Bavaria. Romania netted three times, the first an absolute pearler from Nicolae Stanciu, before Razvan Marin and Denis Dragus netted in a 3-0 victory over Ukraine - their biggest win at the European Championships.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad

Hagi was given around 30 minutes to show what he can do. Impeccably coiffured with a red-ribbon headband, he has not changed much. Wearing the No 10 shirt, Hagi was stationed on the right side of midfield and his first serious involvement was to foul Mykhailo Mudryk and concede a dangerous free-kick that, fortunately for him came to nothing. On 80 minutes he drilled in a fairly aimless cross but it mattered little given Romania's comfortable lead. His biggest involvement was to take a megaphone at the end of the match and start the party in front of his country’s giddy supporters.
This win gives Edward Iordănescu's team a great chance of qualifying for the last 16. They are next in action against Belgium in Cologne on Saturday and then conclude matters against Slovakia in Frankfurt a week on Wednesday. There should be further opportunities for the no doubt watching Clement and Rangers fans to cast their eye over Hagi.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.