Rangers boss Derek McInnes now expects midfielder Nico Raskin to STAY after surprise start in win over Falkirk

Derek McInnes insists he fully expects Nico Raskin to be at Rangers for the rest of this season after the Belgian’s proposed move to Besiktas fell through.

Raskin has been the subject of ongoing speculation over his future throughout the summer, with the World Cup star’s Rangers career seemingly all but over having been left out of two squads over the past week.

However, the 25-year-old was a surprise starter in McInnes’ side at Falkirk last night as Rangers made it back-to-back Premiership victories courtesy of two fine Lawrence Shankland strikes, and the manager insists he is delighted to have him on board.

‘I think he will [stay],’ he said. ‘Obviously Nico’s had an opportunity to go today, and it wasn’t something he wanted or the club, I believe, entertained. It was hardly the ideal preparation.

‘I’ve been keen to utilise Nico, but there’s been a lot going on for him. He’s been training with us every day, and I do think at times the team needs a bit more experience.

‘I know he’s still relatively young in terms of his career, but he’s got a lot of experience under his belt for someone his age. I think the team, at times, needs that, so I was always keen to get him involved tonight.’

One player who has left the club is Norwegian midfielder Thelo Aasgaard, who last night completed an initial loan move to Anderlecht. The Belgian club will pay just short of £1million for the loan and have an option to buy for around £4m.

Captain Shankland took his tally to four for the season with a clinical double, and McInnes believes fans are now starting to see the best of him after a difficult beginning to life at Ibrox.

‘His first goal was a fantastic strike,’ said McInnes. ‘I was screaming for him to leave it for [Djeidi] Gassama, but he sticks it in the back of the net.

‘I’m delighted for him because it’s not been, like for all of us, the easiest of starts.

‘Obviously Lawrence would feel the weight of that a lot more than some others, I think, just because of his background and how eager he is. It was a proper captain’s performance out there tonight.

‘He’s suffered, as we all have, from the lack of creativity and the lack of speed in the team at the top end of the pitch for the first part of the season. Slowly but surely, in the last couple of games, we’ve seen the other side of that.’

Falkirk boss John McGlynn said: ‘We’ve got two great opportunities in the second half that could have put us two or 3-1 up.

‘If you give you Lawrence any kind of space in the box, he’s going to punish you. And he’s got a wee habit of doing it against us.’