Ianis Hagi eying up return to Rangers Europa League squad
Ianis Hagi is hoping to return to Rangers’ Europa League squad after missing out on their run to the last 16 of the competition.
The Romania international was not included in Philippe Clement’s European group at the start of the season due to a contract issue which was eventually resolved.
Clement can make three changes to his squad for the last-16 tie in March when the Gers will face one of Anderlecht, Fenerbahce, Twente or Bodo/Glimt.
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Rangers clinched a spot in the top eight of the tournament's league phase with a 2-1 win over Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise at Ibrox.
Hagi was involved in Rangers’ memorable run to the 2022 Europa League final before suffering a serious knee injury.
And the 26-year-old midfielder is keen to get a taste of European football again.
“Yeah, definitely, I’ve always enjoyed the European nights,” he said. “And hopefully I can help the team in those nights as well and not only in the domestic games.
“It’s difficult when you don’t play at all in any type of game, not only European games. I want to be on the pitch for a full 90 minutes. That’s my mentality.
“That’s where I’m focusing on and I’m probably speaking for every player in the dressing room. They want to be there as much as possible in the pitch.
“So I think it goes without saying that I want to be there also in the European nights.
“Obviously that European run [in 2022] was fantastic, considering how we started with the Alashkert game here, going down [to 10 men] after what, 20 minutes, and still getting into the group stages.
“Everybody did his own job back then, obviously myself in the group stages. Then I got injured.
“I scored that goal away against Brondby [in a 1-1 draw] and it kept our chances alive to get out of the group stages.
“And then everybody did his own job until the final.
“It’s definitely special when you get that momentum. I feel like we’re having that this season. You never know what can happen. We just have to take it game by game.
“Obviously it was a fantastic performance by the boys to put us in the top eight. So looking forward to that [the last 16] definitely.”
Hagi bagged a first-half brace to send Rangers on their way to a 4-0 win over Ross County in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, with John Souttar and James Tavernier also on the scoresheet.
