Nicolas Raskin blows pundit away as ‘pitbull’ claim made away from Rangers
Nicolas Raskin has become a major topic of discussion despite Rangers not being in action in over a week.
Rangers have not played since beating Celtic 3-2 in the Premier League on 16 March and are not back in action until Saturday (29 March), with the international break in full swing.
However, Raskin has been enjoying a fruitful time away from Ibrox after he made his full debut for Belgium in their 3-0 win against Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday (23 March).
The midfielder hardly put a foot wrong as he received plaudits from fans and the media for his performance.
Steven Defour waxes lyrical about Raskin
Raskin was so impressive in his full debut for Belgium that he has since been compared with Steven Defour, who played 52 games across all competitions for the Red Devils before retiring in 2021.
Defour is aware of the comparisons himself and is not surprised that it is the case, having been impressed by the Rangers star.
| Minutes | Accurate Passes | Chances Created | Touches | Passes Into Final Third | Defensive Actions | Duels Won |
| 89′ | 75/82 (91%) | 1 | 91 | 18 | 7 | 5/9 |
The former Burnley ace described Raskin as a “pitbull” after being amazed by his performance against Ukraine on Sunday.
He also acknowledged the 24-year-old’s importance to Rangers and is positive that he will continue to be a regular for Belgium going forward.
“I understand the comparison”, Defour told Sporza‘s website (24 March).
“He is a driving force and a pitbull who does not let go of his opponent.
“He played well forward and was calm on the ball. Everything that was asked of him, he did well.
“He has been playing at a high level for a few years and is doing well at Rangers.
“Sometimes you need a few more years, but he has now seized his chance, and the coach knows that he can count on him.”
Rangers to cash in on Raskin
Raskin’s display for Belgium has also sparked talk about clubs in Europe’s top five leagues wanting to poach him from Rangers.
Roger Hannah of the Scottish Sun said on the Go Ballistic show on Monday (24 March) that clubs will inevitably look at signing the Belgian.
However, the Gers will not be too upset about that themselves as Raskin is poised to command a significant transfer fee.
The Ibrox outfit are in line to pocket a hefty profit on the £2million they paid to sign him from Standard Liege in January 2023.