Nico Raskin names the Rangers Europa League rival he wants as star reveals secret club trick to inspire heroes
Nico Raskin wants Rangers to try and emulate their 2022 Europa League heroes.
The Ibrox midfielder says there’s no limit to what Philippe Clement’s side can achieve in the tournament after gate-crashing the last-16. Raskin admits he’d love a crack at Belgian side Anderlecht in the knock-outs. And the 23-year-old would love to go all the way to the final - just like Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team did three years ago. Raskin was superb in Gers’ 2-1 victory over Union St-Gilloise on Thursday night as they defied the odds to finish eighth in the Europa League table.
They’ll now face either Anderlecht, Fenerbahce, FC Twente or Bodo Glimt - but Raskin says they fear no-one. And after watching video clips of that incredible run to Seville in 2022, he’s challenged Clement’s current crop to do the same.
Raskin said: “It’s hard to say how far we can go. In these competitions you need a bit of luck in the draw - and on the pitch. We’ll take it game by game and see where we can go.
“But everyone knows we like to perform in Europe. The crowd here likes to be in Europe too.
"So we’re going to try and make it as long as possible. I’ve seen videos of when they reached the final, yeah. The club is very proud about that - they’ve been showing it to us.
“It’s great but it’s up to us now to take it game by game. Why not do the same? We’ve got the quality and the fans to do it so let’s go for the best. We’re confident going into the next round because we can beat anybody.
“Personally, I’d like to get Anderlecht because it was one of my biggest rivals in Belgium for my team (Standard Liege). But it doesn’t matter who we play. We’ll just go and try to do the job, home and away.”
Meanwhile, Raskin reckons his good form at Ibrox can earn him his first cap for Belgium under new boss Rudi Garcia. He has won ten caps for the Belgium Under 21s team, but has never been capped for the full side yet.
Belgium appointed former Roma, Marseille, Lyon and Napoli boss Garcia last month and Raskin is hoping his goal against his countrymen could see him earn his first call-up.
He said: "I heard the news about the new manager - it's a good thing for Belgium. I have shown that I can play at a good level, whether in the league against Celtic or in Europe. I'm giving my all. I hope to be called up one day for Belgium. I'm going to continue to work hard at Rangers to achieve that.
"I feel good in this team. My position on the pitch allows me to have a clear view of the game so I can advise my teammates about where to be. Playing in a stadium like this is magnificent. I often hear remarks that the Scottish league is not great, but us qualifying for the next round of the Europa League shows it is a good league."
