Hagi happy his Ibrox love affair has been given a new lease of life as he looks to move on from contract dispute
Just a few months ago, Ianis Hagi was so far out of sight at Rangers that even the Hubble telescope would have struggled to find him.
After spending last season on loan at Deportivo Alaves in Spain, the Romanian midfielder returned to Rangers in the summer in search of a fresh start under Philippe Clement.
However, he was essentially relegated to the B team due to a contract issue, which would have meant another game for the club would have resulted in a pay rise.
Hagi became the forgotten man at Ibrox. So far removed from first-team football, he might as well have been in space.
In October, player and club were finally able to resolve their impasse. Hagi made his first start for Rangers in 18 months as they beat St Johnstone 1-0 in Perth last Sunday.
There was enough guile and creativity in his performance to suggest he could be a big asset for Clement after all.
Hagi celebrates with the traveling Rangers fans after his assist led to the winner on Sunday
Hagi yesterday stressed that he is loving life at Rangers and is keen to get back into action
The Romanian will hope to provide a much-needed spark to Philippe Clement’s struggling side
The Belgian has said that Hagi is essentially a new signing, having been unable to work with the 26-year-old playmaker until a few months ago.
Hagi admitted the period of uncertainty was far from ideal, with no guarantee he would ever kick a ball for the Ibrox club again.
Asked if he was ever on the verge of leaving this summer and why he had ultimately chosen to stay, he said: ‘I love the club. Pure and simple.
‘It is clear that you are in the transfer market. Anything can happen at that moment.
“When I knew the situation I was in, and also my age, which was 25, 26, things were up in the air. No one can deny that. Everyone knows that.
“But what I have made clear is that wherever I am, I will give 100 percent. Whether that is in the B-team, the first team or somewhere else.
‘I’m just going to respect football because it has given me so much. It’s the only thing I like to do. In football everything changes every 24 hours.
“It’s just crazy how the dynamics change. So for me it was just about playing football, being in the best physical shape possible, and then seeing where that takes me.
Despite being effectively frozen for much of the season, Hagi insists he’s happy
‘It’s just a nice feeling, putting on the shirt again, competing again. I’m just enjoying every second of it.
‘I have been involved in professional football for some time now. Even though I’m 26, I think I’m currently in my 10th season as a pro.
‘In football everything changes quite quickly. I was just trying to take control of my environment, what I could do and be prepared for the next day.
“Whatever the next day would have been, I was ready. Now I’m just happy to be back and enjoying my football.’
Earlier in his Rangers career, between 2022 and 2023, Hagi missed a full year of football due to a serious knee injury.
He believes it has given him the mental strength to handle whatever the game throws at him.
The midfielder remained a regular starter for his country during his time in the cold at Ibrox
When asked if his exile was the toughest of his career, he replied: ‘No. Probably the biggest test was coming back from my year-long injury.
‘It’s crazy because that was my only injury in football. I am not an injury-prone player.
‘This period, if it had happened earlier in my career, might have been tougher.
“But with my experience and understanding of the business and how things work, it made it easy because I knew how to approach it and how to take that challenge and get over it.”
After a positive performance against Saints, Hagi will look to continue his revival when Rangers host Kilmarnock at Ibrox tonight.
Clement has tried several players in the number 10 role in his 4-2-3-1 system, all with varying degrees of success.
Hagi has scored a number of important goals for Rangers and is keen to do so again
Mohamed Diomande and Tom Lawrence were the two most permanent residents, but Hagi’s skills seem best suited to the role. Hagi insisted his discussions with Clement and the nature of the contractual dispute would remain private, but he is ready to take the keys to number 10 in this Rangers team.
‘We had a few conversations last summer. That was it,” he said. ‘I knew the situation from the first day I entered the training field.
“I have clearly made it clear where I see my future. So just normal conversations that you have. The only clarity is that Rangers want to win and the people running the club now, with the gaffer, clearly want to win. I want to win.
“But I do think those (contractual) details should be kept between me, my agents and the club, and also the gaffer. Out of respect for everyone, I think you understand that.
“It’s my responsibility to come in and do my job as a No. 10 for this club. What I can do is obviously get on the field, play my best football and be as creative as possible.
‘I’m not talking about assists or goals. I’m just talking about creating and giving different dynamics to the team.
If his performance against St. Johnstone is anything to go by, Hagi could be a key figure this season
“I know what I can bring to the table. I’ve shown it in the past, and I’m just happy to be back in the mix and able to do that.”
Meanwhile, Clement reaffirmed the need to make money available in January to strengthen the squad.
The Ibrox boss said: ‘I think we need to be able to do things.
‘Just like every team wants that, and every manager wants that. So we’ll see what’s possible.
‘I want us to score more goals, that’s an important one. “We’re not conceding much, but we need to score more goals and be more lethal in the final third.”