Rangers playmaker Ianis Hagi has been awarded Romania’s Player of the Month award after an impressive couple of displays for club and country in recent weeks.
Whisper it, but Ianis Hagi might be on the way back to his very best.
Loaned out to La Liga newcomers Alaves after missing almost the entirety of 2022/23 with a knee injury, the Rangers-owned playmaker is slowly but surely finding some form again. Yes, it’s taken him some time to get up to speed in Spain. Yes, he missed a penalty recently.
But, earning rave reviews for his cameo against Barcelona last time out and picking up the ‘Tricolor of the Month award’ – given the the most impressive Romanian footballer in the whole of October – things appear to be looking up at last (AS).
Rangers’ Ianis Hagi back in form
“I’m happy. Clearly, when you win the ‘Tricolor of the Month’ trophy, (it means) you made the fans happy, because they vote (for the winner),” Hagi tells FRF TV.
“I always said that I play for the fans, that I try to make them happy.
“Any trophy motivates me, of course. The most important trophies are the collective ones, which motivate me daily, but I know that my individual performances will always help the team. For this trophy, what matters most is what you do with the national team.”
Kick-starting his career
Hagi produced his best performance in recent memory – for club or for country – during the October international break, Romania hammering Andorra 4-0 in a European Championship qualifier.
Not content with scoring his first international goal since August 2021, Hagi then won a penalty for Romania’s third of the night before setting up Florinel Coman with a neat cut-back. One goal, one assist, and a penalty won.
We wondered, at the time, if this could be the display which jump-starts Hagi’s stalling career. And the signs certainly look good.
