Hagi: I will be back for Hampden showpiece
IANIS HAGI reckons he will be able to play a full match in three weeks – just in time for the League Cup Final against Celtic.
And the Romanian star predicted his recovery has primed him to play on as a footballer until he’s 39.
Hagi has recovered from his serious knee injury picked up last year to make his comeback for Rangers.
He played 18 minutes against St Johnstone as a sub, although he wasn’t on the bench against Hearts and was an unused sub at the weekend.
But the 24-year-old believes he will soon be able to play a full 90 minutes if required, with the Hampden showpiece final this month.
He said: “For me to play 90 minutes? I would say in three or four weeks.
“But of course, it doesn’t just depend on me, I have to be called to do it.
“I have to show I can play well. I feel fine physically and mentally as well.
“Now I’m trying to play as many minutes as possible and get ready as quickly as I
can. I don’t feel old but I feel experienced compared to Alexi Pitu, for example, who just signed for Bordeaux.
“I have my whole career ahead of me. I hope to play another 15 years at least.”
Hagi, in an interview on Romanian TV, revealed he is desperate to help his country reach the Euro 2024 finals with his eye on an international comeback next month in a doubleheader against Andorra and Belarus.
He said: “It’s always going to be hard but we could have had a France or a Germany in our group. Instead, we have Switzerland. If we want to qualify, we have to suffer, believe in ourselves and have courage. We have enough talent to make it.”