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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Robbie Copeland

Ianis Hagi taking Rangers clash with Sparta Prague personally as he makes starting plea to Steven Gerrard

Ianis Hagi has begged Steven Gerrard to let him loose against Sparta Prague later this month.

Because he wants to fire one past his Romania teammate Florin Nita.

The two sides meet at Ibrox in what promises to be a huge game for their respective Europa League hopes.

They sit locked on four points each and the Glasgow meeting is a must win for Rangers - particularly since they face Lyon in their final game.

But as if that wasn't enough motivation, Hagi is driven by his own personal agenda.

He's already faced up to one Romania keeper since joining Rangers as he fired two past Ciprian Tatarunasu in a friendly when he played for Lyon - though he did miss a penalty in that one.

It will be a different ball-game when he faces up to Nita at a packed out Ibrox however and Hagi is praying he gets the chance to get one over on his countryman.

Hagi told Romanian outlet GSP : "I have a personal ambition to score past Nita.

"It was the same with Tatarusanu, I couldn't score past him from the spot with the national team but I had it in my mind that when I played him I had to score.

"Even though it was a friendly (against Lyon) I managed two goals and I felt great,

"I'm waiting for Nita, I hope to be on the pitch against Sparta Prague to score past him."

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