Belgium's own Nicolas Raskin, born on that balmy day of 23 February 2001, is a lad already past his early twenties. He's all but entrenched himself as a midfielder for Scotland's blue team up north — you know, the one that isn't our dear Celtic. Standing at an average 5ft 10in (1.78m) and carrying around a sturdy 11st 9lb (74kg), Raskin commands attention on the field, standing as number 43 for the Rangers. Apparently, the young'un has some chops, having represented the Belgium U21 national team in his sprightly youth.
If you're into the whole money aspect, Raskin's current market value is roughly £5.5m, provided you trust Transfermarkt. As of this moment, his Rangers contract's got a measly 2 years and 3 months left, which begs the question of what he'll do come 31 May 2027 — a party, perhaps?
Before this whole Rangers thing, in July 2017, young Raskin took his first fledgling steps at Gent in Belgium's Pro League where his debut season (2017 - 2018) won him a grand total of one first team appearance in league matches. What a start.
Moving on to the more exciting year of January 2019, Raskin found a new home at Standard Liege from Gent, for a fee rumoured to be... well, undisclosed. During his tenure there, between seasons 2019 - 2023, he actually improved, amassing an awe-inspiring 77 first team appearances and three goals in league matches. Be still my beating heart.
The next arc in this tale occurred in January 2023, when Raskin shunned the Belgian Pro League, choosing instead to grace the Premiership in Scotland with his mighty presence for a fee of around £1.5m. Remember our green friends here at Celtic paid more for Jozo Šimunović.
At his new Scottish home, Raskin made appearances aplenty, with 55 in league matches in just three seasons. Not too shabby. The lad even bagged a goal in the 2023 - 2024 season. He also partook in some additional cups and tournaments, blessing the League Cup 2024 - 2025, the Scottish Cup 2024 - 2025, and the Europa League 2023 - 2024 and 2024 - 2025 with his performance, netting a single goal throughout. What a talent.
