Ianis Hagi enjoyed regular minutes for Rangers in the first two months of this season before losing a place in the starting lineup.
Steven Gerrard’s decision to leave out the Romania international started to cause concerns in his country.
Earlier in December, the attacking midfielder was even advised to leave the Scottish side.
This was all before the 22-year-old regained his place in Rangers’ starting line up just before Christmas. Having featured regularly since then, he’s also impressed by scoring three goals and three assists in last 12 matches.
Former Rangers forward Kyle Lafferty is without a club after leaving Serie B side Reggina in January. He was close to making a switch to Romania before turning down the opportunity.
During an interview with Pro Sport, Lafferty revealed he couldn’t come to an agreement with Romania side Sepsi for a transfer.
At the end of the discussion, the ex-Sunderland man was asked about Hagi and Lafferty sent a message to Rangers regarding the Romanian star.
“When you play for a big team like the Rangers, the pressure is huge. Fans expect to give it their all on the field whether you play for a relegation team or Celtic. If you lose a match, it’s the end of the world. That’s how Rangers fans live,” Lafferty said.
“But I saw quality in Ianis Hagi. He had some problems at one point with an injury, but now things have settled down and I can say he’s fantastic!”
“He is a player who will mark the history of Rangers in the coming years and, if he is not transferred to another team, he has the potential to become a legend of the club. It’s like a rising stallion, he’s going to give his best in the years to come. I’m sure he will go very high.”
Hagi has so far five goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season.
