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Ianis Hagi claims Rangers injury torture means he can't be broken as major Gers figure credited for comeback support
Ianis Hagi has claimed that his brutal Rangers spell means that nothing will EVER break him in football - and he's credited Light Blues skipper James Tavernier for helping him through his gauntlet of battles with injury, mental barriers and more.
Hagi joined Rangers under Steven Gerrard back in 2018, and enjoyed what remains the best spell of his Ibrox career under the Liverpool legend as the Ibrox side won the Scottish Premiership for the first time in nine years under the Englishman. But since Gerrard's departure, it's been a nightmare few years for the Romanian.
A major knee injury against Stirling Albion in January 2022 kept him out of action for a year, and with a failed loan move to Spanish side Alaves hardly getting him back on track, he's had to work hard for his chance to return to the Rangers fold. Red cards, a lack of form and being made a fringe player have all sprung up, but the creative midfielder is back on the pitch and he claims that his experiences haven't broken him - though some of the credit must go to skipper Tavernier.
Speaking ahead of Rangers' clash against Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the Romanian midfielder 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.”
Being the son of Romania's greatest-ever player, Gheorghe, means that he's had big shoes to fill - but that also means he can lean on his father to learn the trials and tribulations of being a professional footballer.
However, his father's glittering career that saw him play for Real Madrid and Barcelona means that he hasn't had the same experiences - which Tavernier has helped him through. Heaping praise on his skipper, Hagi added: “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.”
Hagi is now back in the picture at Rangers after it looked like his future was elsewhere this summer. But for the playmaker, his love for the club was so strong that he wanted to stay insisting it was 'pure and simple.'
He 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 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.”
