Angry? Yes. Deflated and disappointed? Probably.
Ianis Hagi experienced a myriad of emotions during his spell in the Ibrox wilderness. But the one thing he never felt was beaten.
Never down or depressed. Always optimistic that one day he’d eventually pull on a Rangers jersey again. Which is no mean feat, given what the Romanian midfielder had to go through. As if spending a year out injured wasn’t bad enough. When Hagi returned he was given the cold shoulder by Gers gaffer Philippe Clement.
A clause in his contract – which would have meant one more appearance triggering a pay rise – allied to the financial cuts forced upon the manager meant Hagi was frozen out. At that point, it would have been easy for the 26-year-old to engineer a way out. During the summer transfer window, he could surely have agitated enough to secure his exit.
Instead, Hagi decided to buckle down and turn out for Rangers’ B team in front of two men and a dog at Auchenhowie. Hagi might have his flaws as a player. But when it comes to mental strength? You might struggle to find a player who is more resilient.
His target was always to get back playing for Gers again and – after a compromise on the contract was agreed – he’s slowly becoming a key player for Clement. He was excellent on Sunday in the win over St Johnstone and will feature again when Killie come to Govan tonight.
As he reflected on the psychological challenges he faced, Hagi said: “Will anything in football or life test me more after this? You never say never. But I think I’m at a point where I’m really strong mentally now. I understand football, on the pitch and off it.
“But I think the most important thing over the last couple of seasons has been understanding ME. Understanding myself as a person, as a player, what I need to do to succeed and what I need to play at my best.
“And I feel like, right now, any challenge that comes in front of me, I can deal with it. I wouldn’t say I was down. Angry probably, some of the days, yeah.
“At the end of the day, I’m a human being. I have emotions. But I went to bed at night just thinking that I have to respect football. I love this sport way too much to disrespect it.
“By doing that, it meant training myself, doing some extra, preparing my body to be in the right condition. Being involved with the national team as well helped me because I knew that I had to perform and I was going to get minutes for Romania. So mentally, I can’t really say I was too down. I was actually in a good place.”
In terms of keeping his head right, two key figures were Hagi’s famous father – former Barcelona and Real Madrid legend Gheorghe – and his Ibrox captain James Tavernier. Ianis revealed both of them were vital in keeping his spirits up – and ensuring he stayed focused on getting back in Rangers’ team.
Hagi said: “My father was important, obviously. He didn’t really go through these types of situations in his career. But with so much experience in football, he definitely helped me. Not only him but my family as well. And a big shout-out to Tav, the skip.
“People know him on the pitch and what he’s done for the last few years at Rangers. His stats are just mad for a full-back. But he has helped me a lot and behind the scenes and he does a lot for this football club.
“I have to thank him for being there and being a captain. I will never forget what he did for me during the summer, helping me in situations where it’s not about a player-to-player relationship – it’s more about a man-to-man relationship. He’s been there for me so people have to know that. He’s a great skipper.
“We’ve been through quite a few battles alongside each other, obviously playing together under Steven Gerrard and then with Gio van Bronckhorst before I got injured.
“We’ve had plenty of games together and different situations that we’ve got around the season. People see what Tav does on the pitch but he does so much more behind the scenes.”
All of that is in the past now and Hagi is concentrating on how he can help Rangers in the present. He’s been welcomed back into the fold and has given Clement’s side a creativity and urgency that’s been lacking this season.
The playmaker knows he could have left during the last window. But now he’s hinted that he wants to still be here NEXT season as well.
Hagi said: “Listen, I want to win. That’s my thing in life, in everything I do. I never take anything for granted and I’m not doing anything half-hearted.
“I just want to win and this club wants to win so I think that (staying) goes without saying. It’s a nice feeling pulling the shirt on again. I’ve loved every second of it.
“Was there a moment I felt it would never come? Not exactly because I’ve been around professional football for a while now. I know that everything changes quite quickly from good to bad or bad to good.
“It got to a point where we both (Hagi and Clement) wanted to win. And that’s why I’m back here.
“I know what I can bring to the table now. I want to play my best football and be as creative as possible. I’m happy to be back in the mix. Why did I want to stay here? I love the club, pure and simple.”