Strolling onto the pitch of controversy, we find none other than the Belgian chancer, Nicolas Raskin, weighing about 11st 9lb (74kg) and standing at a middling 5ft 10in (1.78m). Kitted out in the, let's say, illustrious 43 jersey, he primarily passes his time as a central defensive midfielder for Rangers of all teams. We have even seen him don the colours of the Belgium national team, and all this accomplished before the tender age of 24.
According to the internet's best guess, Transfermarkt, Raskin is worth somewhere in the region of a tenner. Alright, alright, for accuracy's sake, it's £10m, but it sounds much less impressive when you say it that way, doesn't it?
Now something of a journeyman, Raskin initially joined the Belgian Pro League with Gent back in July 2017. His debut season can be generously described as 'quiet', with the midfielder only making a solitary first team appearance. From Gent, he went on to play for Standard Liege, again in the Belgian Pro League, for the bargain bin price of 'undisclosed'.
During his stint at Standard Liege spanning 2019 to 2023, Nicolas had quite the varied performance. There was a consistent theme in his tenure though – just not the kind you'd hope. One might say he had an affinity for the number ‘one’, with the total goals scored for three seasons out of the four being just that.
Possibly bored of scoring 'ones' in Belgium or perhaps just looking for a change of scenery, Raskin moved on over to Rangers in Scotland (I know, take a deep breath) in January 2023 for around £1.5m. Maintaining his prime form, the chapper has consistently made a show at league matches, even managing to pull out a few goals from up his sleeve in the 2024-2025 season.
His adventures haven't been just limited to the Premiership, oh no. Raskin, the busy bee, has buzzed his way into the League Cup, the Scottish Cup, the Europa League, and even attempted to flap his wings in the Champions League Qualifiers. A real Renaissance man, our Nicolas.
So there you have it, the brief and baffling journey of our illustrious number 43. Every time I see him, I can't wait for what questionable choice he'll make next.
