Ianis Hagi says he never gave up on his dream of pulling on a Rangers shirt again – even when he was forced to play for their B team.
The Ibrox ace was frozen out of Philippe Clement’s side at the start of this season due to a contractual issue with the club. But after it was resolved, the Romanian playmaker is now back in the fold and was a key man in their 1-0 win over St Johnstone on Sunday. Hagi looks certain to start against Kilmarnock in the Premiership on Wednesday, as Clement’s men look to climb the table.
And despite having to train with the Gers kids at the beginning of the campaign, he’s adamant he never lost belief that he’d return for the first-team. Hagi said: “It’s a nice feeling pulling the shirt on again. I’ve loved every second of it so it’s good. 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. So I was just trying to control my environment and be prepared for the next day. Whatever the next day would bring, I was ready.
“So I’m happy now that I’m back and enjoying my football again. It’s tough when you don’t play football. But I’ve been in worse situations, like with my injury, being away for a year and not being able to play.
“At least I was able to train and play with the B team. And I shout out to them because they were unbelievable with me for two or three months. Everything I needed to be ready physically to perform, they were open to it.
“So I have to thank them, the coaches and the kids. They’re so talented and they have so much hunger to perform. I tried to help as much as I could with my experience and talking to them every now and then.
“It was a different experience, obviously. But you want to play professional football. So that’s why I’m here.”
Hagi, who is contracted to Rangers to 2026, admits he COULD have been sold and moved on during the summer. But after talks with Clement and the Ibrox hierarchy a solution was found to continue his career with Gers.
And he says the one thing that drove him was a deep love for the club he joined four years ago. Hagi said: “It got to a point where we both (Hagi and Clement) wanted to win.
“And that’s why I’m back here. Was there a point where I thought I might leave? Obviously, you’re in the transfer market so anything can happen at that point.
“So things were up in the air, no-one can deny that. But I made it clear that wherever I was, I’d give 100 percent, whether it was the B team, first-team or somewhere else.
“I respect football, it’s the only thing I love to do. The only clarity I can give on the situation is that Rangers want to win, the people running the club along with the gaffer, want to win. And I want to win.
“Everything else doesn’t really matter that much. 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 just happy to be back in the mix. Why did I want to stay here? I love the club, pure and simple.”