Ianis Hagi is making all the headlines just a few weeks after Philippe Clement reinstated the Romanian to the Rangers squad.
The 26-year-old playmaker has had quite the last few years at Rangers between injury, a loan spell in Spain and being demoted the club’s reserves amid a contract wrangle.
Throughout the process, Ianis Hagi has remained professional and to the Rangers star’s immense credit he has worked his way back into the Ibrox fold.
As Ianis Hagi addresses the press ahead of the Scottish Premiership visit of Kilmarnock, Philippe Clement has been asked about the impact of the midfielder.
And the Belgian manager is clear that whilst Hagi has been a breath of fresh air, the best is yet to come.
Ianis Hagi can still ‘evolve’ at Rangers
”What is different is difficult,” said Clement when asked if Hagi has brought anything different to the table. “Because then you’re going to compare with other players.
”What he’s giving the team that he’s good on the ball, that he doesn’t lose many balls.
“That he’s handling the ball well, that he has also ideas to play forward, what I want to create and not all the time backwards and lateral.
”That he can come in good scoring positions, that he’s dangerous two feet in that way.
“And that he’s hardworking. He’s been excellent all the time, also in a more difficult period to stay really professional.
”Like I said all the time, he’s an example for everybody in that way and that he’s doing now also when he’s with the squad and he’s working hard to become better.
”And he can only become better because he’s just starting to train the last couple of weeks at this level and just starting Philippe Clement insists it’s just the start of exciting Rangers star’s Ibrox resurgenceto play, so I think he can still evolve a lot the next couple of months.”
Ianis Hagi bolsters Rangers attacking options
It’s certainly been a whirlwind few months for Ianis Hagi, who admits he might’ve left Rangers in the summer.
But for Philippe Clement the Rangers manager is just happy having options back in his Ibrox squad.
Rangers have seen their offensive options severely limited by a mixture of injuries and unavailability and it’s something Philippe Clement is eager to get over.
With Ianis Hagi amongst the Belgian’s increasing options, Rangers can also look forward to the imminent returns of Oscar Cortes, Rabbi Matondo and Tom Lawrence.
It’s something that can only benefit Rangers, with Clement insisting the club needs to ‘score more goals’.
”(We need to) score more goals, I think that’s the major (area we can improve),” Clement told the press.
“We didn’t concede much but we have to score more goals and to be more lethal in the final third.
“In that way and looking also with the players available how we can create this.
“We talk now about the list, there are several important offensive players that we were missing.
“Danilo is coming back now, he was all the time not available. Ianis also with the situation before is coming back, giving other options. Hamza, he’s taking really good steps.
“So I think one month ago a lot of people were saying ‘why did we buy a Moroccan guy who doesn’t have any experience at this level?’
“So people start to see now why but he needs to take further steps the next couple of months.
“So we start to get options there in the offensive part and that’s crucial for sure in a club as Rangers where you have so many games.
“We will have now 16 games in the next eight weeks so it’s going to be very important that you can have also a kind of rotation in those positions but a rotation that you can put quality in every minute that players are on the pitch, that’s crucial to get results.”
