Rangers frustration over ‘Unbelievable’ Ianis Hagi emerges behind the scenes
Ianis Hagi used to be frustrating to play with at Rangers, Andy Halliday has admitted.
Addressing Hagi’s recent run of form, Halliday said that the Romania international has always had the quality he is displaying now, although his “fearless” risk-taking approach was annoying at times for teammates.
The Motherwell star, though, admitted his admiration for the attacker, dubbing his contributions to Philippe Clement’s side after earning his way back into the squad after an exile as “unbelievable”.
“He was always was [a good player] and, again, as a teammate, it’d be frustrating at times, but again I respected him so much for it”, Halliday said on Open Goal (4 February).
“Something we speak about all the time is fearless, we talk about young boys being fearless.
“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.
“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.”
Ianis Hagi key for Philippe Clement at Rangers
Hagi was forced to train away from Clement’s squad at the start of the season due to a contract dispute and did not make his first appearance for the team until their 2-0 Premiership win against St. Johnstone on 6 October.
The former Genk attacker has since established himself as a regular starter for the Light Blues again, bagging three goals and five assists in 15 league appearances.
Hagi’s long-term future at Ibrox, though, remains uncertain as he enters the final year of his contract at the end of the season.
The 26-year-old was also linked with a move away from Ibrox during the recently concluded winter transfer window, with Genoa credited with an interest in taking him to Italy [La Gazzetta dello Sport].
In the meantime, there have been suggestions that Rangers have offered the ex-Fiorentina ace a new contract, although Sky Sports have rebuffed those claims.
Therefore, it remains to be seen where the future lies for Hagi after this season.
In other Rangers news, this Light Blues star is outraged by a lucrative last-ditch offer to leave Ibrox.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.