IAN THE MAN
Rangers cult hero reveals why it was ‘frustrating’ to play alongside Ianis Hagi
But he 'respected' him for the SAME reason
REWIND just a few months and you'd be forgiven for thinking Ianis Hagi would never kick a ball again for Rangers.
But now? Fans are glad he survived at January transfer window as a Gers player and the man himself was vocal about wanting to stay at Ibrox.
2
2
The attacking midfielder was frozen out last year after returning from a loan spell at Alaves.
Philippe Clement went as far as saying he had no future at Rangers but there's been a change behind the scenes and in recent weeks he's reminded everyone of his qualities.
But one former team mate has also revealed how FRUSTRATING he was to play alongside.
Hagi, 26, is out of contract at the end of the season and if a new deal isn't agreed, he would leave Glasgow four-and-a-half years after first signing.
Read more Rangers stories
He played with Andy Halliday in his first six months at Ibrox (originally as a loan player) and the Gers cult hero has lifted the lid on why he was sometimes difficult to work with.
Halliday, 33, left Gers before the start of Hagi's first full season but remembers vividly that he would always try to make positive passes - which could lead to him surrendering possession multiple times per game.
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, Halliday said: “He was always a good player and again, as a teammate, it’d be frustrating at times, but I respected him so much for it.
“Something we speak about all the time is fearless, we talk about young boys being fearless.
Most read in Football
“They make mistakes, always trying to play a positive pass, always trying to create. That was always Ianis.
“I thought as a teammate, sometimes, it’d be frustrating because he could lose the ball three, four times in a row, but see the best players, they don’t care about that.
Rangers star enters real estate business as he's spotted on tour of luxury apartment complex he's invested in
“They will still try and create a chance, they will still try and get it and play forward.
“I don’t know the exact number, but the amount of goal contributions he has made since he is back in the team is unbelievable.”
That number, incidentally, is eight, with Hagi having provided five assists and hitting the back of the net three times since being welcomed back into the first team picture.
He bagged a double at the weekend in the 4-0 win over Ross County and, after being snubbed for the Light Blues' initial Europa League squad, can now be included for the knockout round.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page