There are few sports more poetic than football, there are also few sports where the expectation on the shoulders of someone like Rangers playmaker Ianis Hagi to live up to his dad’s legacy is so great.
With a big name comes big pressure and, so far, the 25-year old is making a decent career for himself in his own right having played in Serie A, La Liga and in representing his country.
Not only that but, the Rangers loanee is proving that can live up to Gheorge’s name after Ianis Hagi cemented his in Romanian history 30 years after his old man.
Rangers star Ianis Hagi cements name in Romanian history
Incredibly, it was 30 years to the day plus one since Gheorghe Hagi scored in Romania’s 2-1 win over Wales in Cardiff that saw his country seal qualification for the 1994 USA World Cup.
That Romania team saw a host of players become household names who played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe and would go on to cause problems for “bigger” countries at the next few international tournaments.
When Rangers signed Ianis Hagi in 2020, he was fresh from being named one of European football’s Golden Boys.
At the Under-21 European Championships he was a standout and tormented an England team that has produced several of the current squad members.
It was a huge surprise and a huge coup to get him to come to Ibrox.
Hagi’s recall to the national team has been well deserved due to his form for Deportivo Alaves where he is one of Europe’s most productive players under 25.
Playing mainly off the right-hand side of attack – a position Rangers have struggled with since his injury – Ianis Hagi is looking sharper and sharper by the game, as his latest goal for his country proved.
Hopefully, he will get the chance to do what his dad did on so many occasions and lead his team at a major tournament.
It will be even better if he is still in the Rangers squad, playing for Philippe Clement.
