Rangers new boy Nicolas Raskin will NOT make his debut at Tynecastle tonight.
The Belgium Under-21 ace checked into Ibrox after sealing a £1.75move from Standard Liege on transfer deadline day. But Gers chiefs are still waiting for his work permit papers to be signed off by the Home Office, meaning he won't be part of Michael Beale's squad for this evening's third-v-second clash with Hearts in Gorgie.
However, Record Sport understands Gers chiefs are fully confident he will be registered in time for Saturday's showdown with Ross County. The VISA hold-up is a "mere formality" according to a senior Ibrox insider and the Light Blues faithful heading to Ibrox this weekend will hope to finally get a glimpse of their new midfield ace in action. However, given the fact Raskin has not kicked a first-team ball for two-and-a-half months after being jettisoned from Liege boss Ronny Deila’s squad following a contract row, the likelihood is that he will have to settle for a place on the bench against the Staggies while he builds up his fitness levels.
But the 21-year-old says he's already looking forward to seeing his new home filled to the rafter after Covid restrictions meant his only previous experience of Ibrox was played behind closed doors. Speaking after his unveiling on Tuesday, he told RangersTV: “In my young career I have played once in the Europa League. It was crazy, and I remember we played against Rangers.
“I was sad because it was Covid-19 and when we came here there wasn’t fans in the stadium. I knew the fans here were incredible. I was so happy when we drew Rangers, but after that I had to say OK.
“I remember Ibrox as a very big stadium and Rangers were a very good team, so now I’m happy to be part of this team. I’m looking forward to playing at this level.
“I know how European games go and you have to play every three days. I’m looking forward to something new because I want to play in the Champions League.
“I’ve only played in the Europa League for one year, and I now want to play in Europe every season and fight for trophies every year. That’s why I came here.
“I feel really excited about being here. I feel very proud also to join this big club and I look forward to playing at Ibrox.
"When my lawyer told me this I was very excited because I was watching a game in Europe when Rangers got to the final so I knew it was a very big club.”
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