Ianis Hagi wows pundit with what he did for Rangers in first half against St Mirren on final day
Gordon Smith was delighted by Ianis Hagi’s play early for Rangers in the final-day clash with St Mirren in the SPFL on Saturday.
In the opening exchanges the Romanian winger got up to speed quicker than virtually everyone else on the pitch, playing a nice exchange on passes out wide on the left before firing an inviting ball across the face of the home side’s goal.
None of his teammates were alive to the opportunity so it went begging, but former Light Blues midfielder Smith was highly impressed.
Speaking live on the Rangers TV match broadcast (27 May, 12.35pm) Smith said: “The touch, and the dribbling ability, and the short game that these players can play together, interaction like that, it was tremendous.
“Hagi did fantastic for that ball, lovely little one-two, and fired it across goal. It was just a pity no-one saw it coming and actually got on the end of it.”
Reminder
There was a last-day-of-term feel to proceedings in Paisley with little to play for from a Rangers point of view, and it took the visitors some time to get into any sort of rhythm until Fashion Sakala finally put them ahead.
Hagi has his Ibrox future to secure though ahead of a summer of upheaval as manager Michael Beale operates an overhaul of his playing staff.
The 24-year-old had his time in Scotland badly interrupted by a year out with serious injury, but his early involvement was a reminder of the quality he has.
If he can return to the level that he was before being ruled out for so long under Giovanni van Bronckhorst last season it would save Beale time and money in the transfer market.
Virtually everyone’s future is in the balance if there is a market for them during the window, so Hagi, operating apparently as the central forward, has one last chance to stake a claim to being part of the picture next season.
In other Rangers news, club are now “desperate” to sign senior Ibrox man after transfer announcement.