Gheorghe Hagi lauds Rangers fans and Steven Gerrard for impact on son Ianis

Rangers fans have been hailed for the impact that they are having on Ianis Hagi – by the youngster's legendary father.

Gheorghe Hagi was in the crowd at Ibrox on Thursday night when Rangers came from 2-0 down to beat Braga in the Europa League and give themselves a great chance of progession.

Hagi Sr was in the crowd and pictured enjoying the turnaround – not least because his son played a pivotal role in it.

The youthful loanee was the headline maker, first scoring the goal which brought the Scottish side back into the game, before his deflected free-kick put Gers 3-2 ahead.

Hagi Sr has heaped praise on the atmosphere of Ibrox for helping to secure the result.

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He also gave a rave review to Steven Gerrard and his management in an interview with Romanian TV.

The former Romania striker said: "From the beginning, the Rangers manager made it very clear he wanted Ianis. He was convinced of his quality.

"The manager there is of great importance in Ianis' development. He knows exactly how to get the best out of him. He knows how to talk to him and he knows how to integrate him in the group.

"Rangers have a very good group of players and supporters. That's why I said they are an ideal club for him.

"For his mentality and his future growth, this is perfect for him. He's just turned 21 and you can see the confidence growing in him.

"That's come from the Rangers manager.

"Rangers are a very big club, they are desperate to get back to where they were, so there's a lot of motivation at the club. Ianis' knows that and buys into it.

"He also knows he can't rely on what he did before. It's about what he does now. That's why football is beautiful because what happened yesterday is no longer valid.

"It was bad weather in Scotland, but today's footballer must adapt to that and that's what he did."A good player will find a way to succeed on any pitch and they won't use the conditions as an excuse.

"On Thursday, I saw all the seasons in one day in Glasgow. There was winter, summer, snow, rain, wind, sun. And that was all within an hour.

"But you know what… it was cold and he got on with it.

"I feel he is getting better every day. At Rangers he is now playing in a top European competition and that will make him better. Young players need to experience this.

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"I watched a great game with extraordinary supporters. It was a fantastic evening.

"I found it incredible the way Rangers fans supported and backed their team. There's no doubt it gave the Rangers players a massive lift and gave them a huge shot of pure adrenaline.

"In my view, that was the secret of Rangers' success. Their fans pushed the players to win."

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