Nico Raskin is hoping fate is finally on his side as he seeks to claim his first winner's medal at Rangers. The Belgian international, the club's second longest serving player, has yet to lift a trophy at Ibrox, having missed the 2023 League Cup triumph through injury and been on the losing side in three other finals since joining nearly four years ago.
The stand-in skipper helped Derek McInnes' side edge past Aberdeen in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden on Saturday, booking a return to the national stadium for the final on December 13.
Near Departure and a Point to Prove
Raskin almost left the club for Besiktas on transfer deadline day, but the 25-year-old believes it was preordained for him to stay and help end the club's trophy drought. Asked what it would mean to finally win the Cup after a summer of speculation, he said: "It would mean I had to stay and win it! Things happen for a reason and I'm looking forward to that game."
"Hopefully we can achieve something good this season, that will lead us to a more exciting season. I just want to go and win it. My family tell me I've won one, but I tell them I haven't. In 2023, I got rested for the first two games, and injured for the next two! It's not me winning that trophy! I'm just happy to get to this final with full belief and I want to win that cup."
Injury Heartbreak and Belief
Raskin would have been a certain starter for Philippe Clement in the 2023 final, but an ankle injury six weeks before the match cost the former Standard Liege player his moment of glory. "Does that still annoy me? Yeah," he admitted. "I've been here a long time and we've worked so hard. Not having that is difficult, but hopefully next month we'll win one."
Rangers were forced to grind their way past Stephen Robinson's resilient Aberdeen side, but Raskin believes his team are building foundations for a memorable season. He said: "Yeah, I think so. Listen, it's not going to be an easy season. It's a long season. But the main thing is to keep focused and keep working towards the goal. We need to keep believing in the manager and what we're doing, then we'll be there."
