Ianis Hagi breaks Rangers bomb squad silence as he admits he’ll 'never forget’ what key Ibrox figure did for him

Angry? Yes. Deflated and disappointed? Probably.

Ianis Hagi experienced a myriad of emotions during his spell in the Ibrox wilderness. But the one thing he never felt was beaten.

Never down or depressed. Always optimistic that one day he’d eventually pull on a Rangers jersey again. Which is no mean feat, given what the Romanian midfielder had to go through. As if spending a year out injured wasn’t bad enough. When Hagi returned he was given the cold shoulder by Gers gaffer Philippe Clement.

A clause in his contract - which would have meant one more appearance triggering a pay rise - allied to the financial cuts forced upon the manager meant Hagi was frozen out. At that point, it would have been easy for the 26-year-old to engineer a way out. During the summer transfer window, he could surely have agitated enough to secure his exit.

Instead, Hagi decided to buckle down and turn out for Rangers’ B team in front of two men and a dog at Auchenhowie. Hagi might have his flaws as a player. But when it comes to mental strength? You might struggle to find a player who is more resilient.

His target was always to get back playing for Gers again and - after a compromise on the contract was agreed - he’s slowly becoming a key player for Clement. He was excellent on Sunday in the win over St Johnstone and will feature again when Killie come to Govan tonight.

As he reflected on the psychological challenges he faced, Hagi said: “Will anything in football or life test me more after this? You never say never. But I think I’m at a point where I’m really strong mentally now. I understand football, on the pitch and off it.

“But I think the most important thing over the last couple of seasons has been understanding ME. Understanding myself