Hagi is eager for Old Firm battle
IANIS HAGI was 48 hours away from making his Old Firm debut when coronavirus forced Scottish football into lockdown. More than three months on, the prospect of finally locking horns with Celtic is one the Rangers midfielder eagerly anticipates as he looks ahead to the new season.
Hagi has already shown a taste for the big occasion. And the big atmosphere. His outstanding two-goal contribution against Braga in February was among the very best individual performances Ibrox witnessed last season.
Feeding off the Rangers support and inspiring them in return, the 21-year-old engineered a remarkable comeback from a seemingly hopeless position.
Hagi hoped to further underline this ability to produce under pressure when Celtic were scheduled to make the short trip across Glasgow on Sunday, March 15. It didn’t happen. Faced by a public health emergency, the authorities bowed to the inevitable and suspended footballing activity on the preceding Friday.
Now all eyes are on the planned return of the Premiership on August 1. Having agreed a £3million transfer from Genk, Hagi will kick off the new campaign as a permanent Rangers player following his previous loan spell.
It will be a campaign defined by the Ibrox club’s bid to prevent Celtic from winning a tenth successive title. Against that backdrop, the collisions between the clubs will carry huge significance.
Tradition dictates that Rangers are due to head to Parkhead for the season’s first Old Firm match when the fixtures are released. Whether or not fans can attend will depend on both the timing of the match and how Scotland progresses in its delicate emergence from lockdown.
Like manager Steven Gerrard, Hagi is prepared to deal with the situation however it is presented. But, if possible, he would always pick to play in front of a passionate crowd.
Reflecting on the Old Firm cancellation in March, Hagi said: ‘I really looked forward to playing that game but unfortunately it didn’t happen.
‘Obviously, I was thinking about that and thinking about the moment when we will play Celtic. It is one of the greatest derbies in the world, so who doesn’t want to play in such a game?
‘I’m looking forward, not just to that, but I’m looking forward to playing for this club.
‘Would I rather have a full house? Definitely. Everybody wants to play with fans. That’s the reason I play — I just play to bring joy to the fans.
‘Obviously, the adrenaline and the intensity of the game is different when you have fans in the stands. But as a professional football player you just have to adapt to different challenges and deliver every single time.’
It would be an unusual footballer who preferred empty stands, home or away, but Hagi’s appreciation of full-stadium experience appears particularly acute.
For starters, recall how he entered a new catchphrase into the vocabulary of Rangers fans after that rousing 3-2 success against Braga.
‘Ibrox, baby,’ he told BT Sport. ‘It’s just different.’
The thought of staring into rows of empty seats in Govan is unappealing — even if Rangers hope some fans could be in before the end of August — but Hagi is adamant an unusual backdrop cannot be used as an excuse for underperforming.
‘It is different but as a footballer you just have to adapt to the situation and deliver in every single game, whether there are fans or not,’ he continued.
‘Obviously, we would prefer if the stadiums were full but it is what it is and we just need to adapt. As I have said, we are professional footballers, it doesn’t really change what situation or challenge we are facing.’
The obvious challenge for Rangers is to pose a serious threat to Celtic’s dominance. Having looked prime to do so entering last season’s winter break, they were 13 points adrift when the shutdown intervened.
So what does Hagi feel needs to be done to close that gap?
‘Right now, I’m just focusing on what needs to be done in pre-season to make sure we are 100-per-cent ready physically and mentally when the league starts,’ he said.
‘I’m focusing on our game and how we can improve as a team. Every single player has to try and improve. I like to think about ourselves and not compare us to other teams. We have our job to do and that’s all I can say.’
He will approach the new campaign with greater knowledge of Scottish football after making nine domestic appearances last term following his loan arrival from Genk at the end of January. He admitted: ‘It helped me a lot to have the first couple of months to introduce myself to a new league.
‘I know what to expect now and that will definitely be an advantage for me. But that doesn’t mean it will be much easier. I just have to do my job as a No10. If I focus on my own game that will be more than enough.’
Forming an effective on-field relationship with Alfredo Morelos could be central to hopes of success at Ibrox.
‘He is a striker who can score 30 goals a season and it is really great to play alongside him,’ said Hagi. ‘Not only him, but all the team-mates here are really good. It is a quality team that can produce and create in every game.
‘It makes you a better player and makes you push yourself to the limit. Whenever you have a team-mate with that quality, obviously you can grow a lot as an individual player.’
I would rather have a full house... I just play to bring joy to the fans