Expert: Nicolas Raskin told what he must do to return to Rangers starting XI
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(Credit: Imago)
Callum O'Connell
Sat 20 September 2025 8:00, UK
Nicolas Raskin must prove he wants to play for Rangers to get back into Russell Martin’s first-team plans after another exclusion from the squad.
That is according to former Man United and Sunderland chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Raskin and Martin must reach a conclusion that works for everybody.
Ally McCoist has called on Martin to explain Raskin’s exclusion after he was dropped from the squad for the 0-0 draw against Celtic and 2-0 defeat to Hearts.
Rangers‘ form this season has been a major concern, with no wins from five league games so far, and further discontent among the squad is not believed to have helped.
Football Insider revealed on 14 September that Russell must make a decision about Raskin’s future soon to resolve the ongoing speculation surrounding his future.
Credit: Imago
Football Insider revealed on 12 September that Raskin could leave Rangers in January if the situation is not resolved and he doesn’t return to the starting XI.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has insisted the Belgium international needs to show Martin that he wants to be a Rangers player.
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“It should have been a fresh start for the players under Martin,” he told Football Insider.
“Things haven’t been good enough there for a long time, the players haven’t been up to scratch and should be criticised just as much as the managers they’ve had.
“Obviously, this situation is one that’s come up since he arrived and he’s made the decision to leave him out of the squad because he thinks his head isn’t in it.
“If that is the case, the player needs to prove he wants to play for Rangers.
“He needs to get his head down in training and show the manager that he’s willing to work hard to help the club turn around what has been an awful season so far.
Credit: Imago
“That’s how he’ll get back into the starting XI, because if the manager thinks he’s had his head turned and then in training he’s jogging around and not making an effort, of course he won’t be in the side.
“Eventually, it’s going to come to a head, so the best thing for both of them is to come to a solution to get him back in the team, there’s no point being stubborn because it does no favours to anybody.”
Whatever the extent of the issue is, there is a growing feeling that Martin has cut his nose off to spite his face, given the midfielder’s importance to the side.
Brown told Football Insider in May that Raskin was wanted by Premier League clubs alongside European giants, but he ultimately remained at Ibrox.
Martin has since revealed that last season’s player of the year had been unsettled by the interest during the transfer window and had his head turned by a potential exit.
While away on international duty with Belgium, Raskin confessed: “My situation at the club is a bit complicated.
I’m going to go back, do the best I can to sort it out.” [The Sun]
Football Insider revealed on 16 August that Rangers were bracing to receive offers for Raskin in the closing stages of the transfer window.
While no offer arrived in the end, the interest has clearly caused long-standing issues with the player and his manager which have directly impacted the team’s performances.
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