Raskin attracted by the demands of playing for Rangers

New signing Nicolas Raskin was attracted by the demands and pressure of playing for Rangers.

The Belgium Under-21 international was Rangers’ sole deadline-day arrival after choosing Michael Beale’s side ahead of other options.

The 21-year-old was due to become a free agent in the summer and Rangers secured his signature after agreeing a fee with Standard Liege.

The midfielder told the Gers website: “It was very exciting when I was told about Rangers’ interest because it’s a big club. I was watching Rangers when they got to the Europa League final so I knew this was a very big club.

“In Belgium, we are always looking at the big derby, so it was very exciting.

“The manager convinced me to come because I had a few other offers, but it was good how the manager spoke to me. I wanted to come directly after he spoke to me.

“I wanted to come here because I feel that the manager can improve me. It’s a big club so you can always improve a lot. I was playing at a club in Belgium that was almost the little brother of this club.

“When the manager was talking to me and explaining everything, I said to him that it looked like the big brother of the club I was at.

“The demands and the fans are crazy, and so is the atmosphere on the pitch. That’s why I chose a club like Rangers. I could have chosen another club, but I feel more pressure here and I like to play with emotion.

“I needed to move from Belgium to grow. It’s good for me because my team in Belgium, we are very famous and the fans are good. I love to play with the pressure and the standards are high, which is what I need to improve myself.”

Raskin has played at Ibrox before for Liege but did not get the full experience.

“I was sad because it was Covid-19 and when we came here there wasn’t fans in the stadium,” he said.

“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.”