Ex Ibrox forward says attacker with 'first class' attitude has 'completely reinvigorated' Rangers front line
Neil McCann was speaking on BBC Scotland’s Sportscene Scottish Premiership highlights show after Philippe Clement’s side won at Ibrox.
Former Rangers forward Neil McCann believes the reintroduction of Ianis Hagi to the first team has ‘completely reinvigorated’ Philippe Clement’s front line.
The pundit also praised the Romanian’s ‘first class’ attitude after his time being outcast from the senior squad and the impact he has had since coming back. Another player who recieved individual praise was club captain James Tavernier who McCann believes is getting back to his best form.
Speaking on BBC Scotland’s Sportscene Scottish Premiership highlights show after Rangers’ 1-0 win over Dundee at Ibrox, McCann said on Hagi: "I was probably one that felt when he was playing with the Bs that he could offer something in the Rangers first team. It says a lot about the boy's attitude, which I feel is absolutely first class, that he was prepared to take a hit with the suggestion that his money would go up. Being almost cast aside then brought into the side once more, I feel he has completely reinvigorated the front line because he offers a variation of play. He is really clever and one of his best attributes is his awareness of the game.
"He's so strong on both sides, left foot and right foot, and he wants to go in behind and he's looking at crosses but there's a mixture, a variation of play from a wide area. It has allowed Bajrami, who was good in the cup final, to play in that 10 position which was probably where he was acquired to play. It has just given Rangers a lot of fluidity and outside of that his work rate has been brilliant.”
On Tavernier, the former Rangers and Scotland forward said: “Jame Tavernier is definitely getting back to where he was, whether that's by design or by accident with Sterling getting an injury but nonetheless he's showing the player he was and still is and it was a really good three points.
“I felt Rangers deserved their three points today. I wondered how they would come back from the cup final when there has been a lot of talk about this penalty and non-penalty, but I wondered what the feeling would be. Would there be a hangover in terms of attitude? But I felt the attitude was first class with lots of players starting to move up the gears.”