Scott Arfield says he knew Nicolas Raskin was different after seeing the midfielder train with Rangers for the first time.
The Belgian was brought to the club in the summer of 2022 under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Signed from Standard Liege, Raskin has really started to showcase his abilities in recent weeks.
The 24-year-old opened the scoring in Rangers' 3-2 win over Celtic at Parkhead just under a fortnight ago. He then made his Belgium debut over the international break and very much impressed in a 3-0 win over Ukraine.
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Arfield knew Raskin was a cut above from the off: "I was still at the club at the time and expected him to be like the other Belgian players we’d come across during our Europa League clashes with Liege and Royal Antwerp," he said (Record).
"Those sides had plenty of guys who were tidy on the ball, but I didn’t think they were great out of possession.
"But Nico was different. I can remember thinking during his first week at the club how tenacious and energetic he was getting about the pitch as he snapped into tackles.
"He’s had a couple of injuries that have held him back but I think we’re now seeing that he is adding quality and numbers on the ball to his steely side off it.
"He’s not a Barry Ferguson or Gazza-type midfielder, more a Rino Gattuso battler but those kind of ball-winners are every bit as important as your playmakers.
"His biggest strength is his ability to sense danger and break up attacks and that's why if he does leave, Rangers must prioritise a ready-made replacement this summer."
Raskin will once more look to make an impact as Rangers travel to face Dundee in the Scottish Premiership this evening.
