Ianis Hagi will hope to step out of his father’s shadow as he looks to make an impact for Romania at Euro 2024 this summer.
Exactly 30 years after Gheorghe Hagi lit up an international tournament for his country, his son will look to emulate the feat.
Romania are in Group E alongside Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine and Hagi will be a key player for them if they are to make the knockout phase.
Who is Ianis Hagi?
The attacking midfielder will look to shoulder Romania’s hopes this summer, as the son of the country’s greatest-ever player Gheorghe.
The latter turned out for both Real Madrid and Barcelona and even became a club legend at Turkish giants Galatasaray during the 1990s.
However, it was on the international stage that Hagi Sr wrote his name in the history books having starred at three World Cups.
He famously helped Romania beat Argentina en route to reaching the quarter-finals of USA 94.
Four years later in France, Romania topped England’s group while Hagi finished as his country’s top scorer with 35 goals from 125 caps.
His son Ianis was born in Istanbul during his spell in Turkey and has since emerged as a star in his own right.
Hagi made a name for himself in Europe after joining joined Rangers on an initial six-month loan under Steven Gerrard in January 2020.
He got a taste of making headlines after scoring twice in the Gers’ dramatic comeback victory over Braga in the Europa League a month after his arrival, with his famous father watching from the stands.
A horror ACL injury curtailed his progress and he joined La Liga side Alaves last summer on a season-long loan to revive his career.
However, the 25-year-old managed just seven starts in La Liga and failed to score in Spanish football’s top flight.
Hagi still has two years left of his deal to run at Rangers, and his father Gheorghe insisted he still has a future at Ibrox.
He said: “After his season ends, Ianis will be preparing for the Euros and then we will see what he does next in the summer.”
“At Rangers, he was their best young player when they won the league,” said Hagi “He is not going anywhere, he was just loaned to Alaves. There are many opportunities for him.
“I believe he had a good season in Spain – for example, he was the best player for his team in their recent game against Real Madrid.
“People need to remember and everyone seems to forget that he has recovered from a very, very serious knee injury.
“If it were up to me and I managed a big team in Europe I would be the first to sign him!
“He has experience in Europe, he played at a very high level. He qualified with all the national teams, at every level. And he won a championship in the West, at 22 years old.
“He still has around 11 years left of his career injury permitting, There is more to come.”
News Summary:
- Is Ianis Hagi related to Gheorghe? Romania star backed to light up Euro 2024 after Rangers struggles
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