The Sunday Post (Inverness)

Raskin in good Nic, but starts are still tough

- By Brian Fowlie SPORT@SUNDAYPOST.COM

Nico Raskin is a better player than he was last year – but still good enough to get a starting spot in the Rangers midfield, according to his manager and fellow countryman Philippe Clement.

Raskin was a regular under previous boss Michael Beale but is now struggling to make any impact on the first team at Ibrox.

He wasn’t even on the bench for last Sunday’s Old Firm game.

Clement said: “Nico has been unlucky. He started really well, played in my first game and scored.

“He was one of our best players that day.

“Afterwards, he got an injury and was out for a longer time and then there became more competitio­n in the midfield.

“We have a lot of guys who did a lot of good things and Nico is among them, with (John) Lundstram the stable factor all the time.

“Kieran Dowell did good things in midfield, Tom Lawrence in the number eight role, (Mohamed) Diomande came in, Dujon Sterling did good things – so there’s a lot of competitio­n.

“It’s not that Nico is doing things bad now or not good. No. He’s working really hard.

“I see him evolving also. He’s now better than when I saw him in October. He is a better player.

“But there is more competitio­n also. That’s what you need in a top team to perform and to win a lot of games.”

There may be an opening for the 23-year-old as Rangers travel to face Ross County today.

Fellow midfielder Diomande is out after having surgery on a fractured finger.

However, Clement believes the Ivorian can go on to achieve great things for himself and the club when he returns after this short absence.

He said: “I think he’s one of the boys who can grow bigger than Rangers, although this is already a big team.

“He has the potential for that.

“He needs to keep on improving but he has the right mindset towards that.

“He’s somebody who works hard every day, gives his best every day and is humble

also. He gives his best for the team. Those are a lot of qualities – but I know that he has stepped into a really good club and a good dressing room.

“I want an environmen­t of winners who give their maximum every day without excuses.

“It’s because of all the other boys that he, Fabio and Oscar Cortes integrated really fast into the team, on the pitch and off the pitch.”

The manager added: “When you step in to a new club in January it is always a difficult period as you are coming to a team where everyone has already been playing together.

“They helped in such a good way so that everyone feels here like they’re at home and that’s important as a player, I think.”

 ?? ?? Boss Clement had encouragin­g words for Nico Raskin despite a lack of game-time.
Boss Clement had encouragin­g words for Nico Raskin despite a lack of game-time.
 ?? ?? Midfielder Mohamed Diomande is out of the Ross County clash.
Midfielder Mohamed Diomande is out of the Ross County clash.

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