Ianis Hagi îs a typical mercurial playmaker and at 23-years old is yet to develop the consistency that would see him truly fulfilled his enormous potential, however, his main priority at the moment is getting back to full fitness.
The Romanian internationals progress from anterior cruciate ligament surgery is going well, however, as Vital Rangers has already covered, it’s a process that can’t be rushed, regardless of what some media outlets might claim.
Hagi will now be back running, even if it is just a gentle jog, a step that is a huge one both physiologically and psychologically for patients who have undergone this treatment with his famous dad Gheorghe revealing that all is going well to Digi Sport, via The Daily Record:
“We can make similarities, but not comparisons, especially when we talk about young players.
“Each player has their own history and their own personality.
“Ianis is part of a very talented generation. He has to work and make a name for himself in Europe, and that can only be done with trophies and with titles.
“He still has a career of 10-15 years ahead. He has to work, sacrifice, dedicate himself.
“We don’t know what it will be (recovery time) but he is very dedicated. He represents us very well outside.
“Rangers are very happy. He is not on vacation now, he has a recovery program. He has his physiotherapists and I go with him all the time. Everything is planned.”
It’s an injury that used to be a virtual career ender in the ’90s and early ’00s, Rangers fans know all too well what happened to Seb Rozental, Oleg Kuznetsov and Michael Mols, players who were never the same after they recovered.
Hagi has – and will – do his recovery properly and shouldn’t be rushed back to full training and games, he has plenty of time ahead of him and won’t be short of aerobic fitness having spent almost every day with his own physiotherapist.
He’s a player that will always divide opinion but I can’t wait to see him back under a new manager who has found a system that works and one that plays exactly to Hagi’s strengths, patience could well be his biggest enemy over the next few months.