Nicolas Raskin in ‘Astonishing’ reveal at Rangers after Belgium developments
Rangers ace Nicolas Raskin made back-to-back appearances for Belgium as Rudi Garcia’s men successfully retained their UEFA Nations League A status.
Garcia’s men gave themselves a mountain to climb when they lost 3-1 in their first leg to Ukraine on Thursday, with Raskin making a 10-minute cameo appearance off the bench.
But Belgium will remain in Nations League A courtesy of their 3-0 second leg win on Sunday, thanks to a goal by Maxim De Cuyper and a Romelu Lukaku brace.
Rangers star Raskin was more heavily involved this time around after being handed a starting XI opportunity by Garcia, which he grabbed with both hands and remained on the pitch until the dying embers of the game.
Keith Jackson amazed by Raskin’s turnaround since Clement left Rangers
Raskin has performed particularly well for the Bears since the arrival of interim boss Barry Ferguson, which was epitomised when he notched a goal and an assist in his side’s 3-2 win at Celtic on 16 March.
The Daily Record’s Keith Jackson told Record Sport’s Hotline Live [24 March] after the Gers midfielder featured for Belgium on Sunday: “It’s incredible, given that he had a Belgian manager at Rangers and he couldn’t get in the first 11 there not so long ago.
“I think that he has improved in the short space of time working with Barry Ferguson.
“I find it astonishing that Raskin struggled to get a sustained run of games under (Philippe) Clement.”
Rangers need Raskin to retain strong form
As alluded to by Jackson, Raskin has shone for the Gers since interim boss Ferguson took up the dugout duties at Ibrox in late February.
| Nicolas Raskin 2024/25 stats | All competitions |
| Appearances | 39 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 6 |
He notched a vital assist when the Bears defeated Fenerbahce 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie, helping Ferguson and Co navigate their way through to the quarter-finals.
Raskin then proved his worth as he played a major role in steering Belgium towards retaining their Nations League A status, and did not look out of place alongside the likes of Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne.
But Rangers will need the 24-year-old to remain at his very best as they strive to enjoy a positive ending to an otherwise disappointing domestic season.
More importantly, the Gers still have a chance of lifting silverware this term, courtesy of their progress in the Europa League where they will lock horns with Bilbao in the quarter-finals.
In order to beat the La Liga outfit, Ferguson will need his international quality players such as Raskin to be at their very best.