When people say that actions speak louder than words, there is a perfect example from Rangers during the summer and a problem that Philippe Clement had to deal with.
Todd Cantwell spoke in riddles about his exit and suggested that he didn’t ask to leave Ibrox, but his absence from training with the first team squad or the academy suggests otherwise.
What confirms this, is that whilst the now Blackburn Rovers midfielder was training on his own, Ianis Hagi was grafting with Rangers B team and playing games with teenagers.
Ianis Hagi thanks Rangers B team coaches and squad
The 26-year old has always been mature beyond his years and has a player to speak with intelligence, rather than purely saying what he has been trained to say or what he thinks people want to hear.
Speaking ahead of the Scottish Premiership clash with Kilmarnock, Hagi again showed why he could be a Rangers captain of the future by paying compliment to those who helped keep him on his toes during the summer:
“It’s tough when you don’t play football. And I’ve been in worse situations than this one with my injury, being away for a year and not being able to play. Now I was able to train and play with the B team. And shout out to them because they’ve been unbelievable with me for two or three months,” praised Hagi.
“Just everything I needed to be ready and prepared physically to perform, they were open to it.
“We even had chats about different trainings and different exercises. So, it’s been great. I have to thank them. I have to thank the coaches, the kids.
“They’re so talented. They have so much hunger to perform. And I’ve tried to help as much as I could with my experience and talking to them every now and then.
“So, it was a different experience, obviously. But you want to play professional football. So that’s why I’m here. And, yeah, I’m just happy that I’m back.”
Why Hagi has to start against Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup final
Hagi’s name must be penciled in for the Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic on the 15h of December.
He is the only player in the squad with a winning record against them, and he is a player who thrives on pressure, rather than hides from it.
The 44-times capped international wants to be the main man and take responsibility and, as shown in his early outings, is clearly motivated to make a difference.
After a summer of discontent, Hagi is showing that he appreciates where he is, rather than dreaming of where he could go.
