Nicolas Raskin admits Rangers move ‘is just a stage’ in Premier League plan
Nicolas Raskin has admitted that his move to Rangers last January was just a step in his bigger plan to play in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old joined the ranks at Ibrox from Belgian club Standard Liege last January as one of Michael Beale’s first signings for the Light Blues and has been one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise dreary start to the season in Glasgow.
Having been reluctant to extend his deal in his home country, the Belgian youth international signed a long-term deal with Rangers that will see him regain with the Light Blues until 2027, but in a recent interview, he was very open about his desire to play elsewhere throughout his career.
As quoted by Belgian outlet Proximus on Friday (13 October) he said: “I’m now at 98 games for Standard, it would be nice to ever round that mark of 100 there.
“I once want to play in the Premier League, but I don’t put myself under pressure. I have a plan in my head, Rangers is just a stage in it.”
Just a stage
Rangers fans won’t be thrilled to hear their midfielder describe his stay with their club as just a stage in his career, but sadly a lot of players view a move to Scotland as an opportunity to play European football and gain attention from teams south of the border.
However, it is unusual for a player to be so open about viewing a club as a stepping stone and that likely won’t have earned Raksin much credit from the Ibrox supporters, especially considering the difficult time that the club are currently trying to navigate.
The advantage that the Light Blues have if Raskin does look to move to the Premier League in the coming years is the length of his current contract, which will likely see them turn a more than tidy profit on the 22-year-old if interest does grow from teams in England’s top flight.
It will also be interesting to see whether the midfielder’s plan changes slightly if fellow countryman Philippe Clement is appointed as the new manager at Ibrox, as Raskin has previously been quoted to be an admirer of the former Monaco boss [Scottish Daily Mail, 10 October].
Only time will tell what will happen in the future of Raskin’s career, but hopefully, he can help Rangers turn their fortunes while he is still contracted to the Ibrox club.
In other Rangers news, Alison McConnell has been stunned by the suggestion that the Gers will offer Clement a four-year deal at Ibrox