"We knew it...": Rangers star told he is irreplaceable following 'true bulldog' performance

The 24-year-old started alongside Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana in midfield for the Red Devils, and came in for high praise after playing a pivotal role in helping Belgium turn around the game, and go clear at the top of Group J, on just his fifth start for his country.

Joe Rodon had given Craig Bellamy’s side a shock eighth-minute lead at the Cardiff City Stadium; however, a Kevin De Bruyne brace, followed by strikes from Thomas Meunier, helped the visitors turn the game around in the Welsh capital. Wrexham striker Nathan Broadhead reduced the deficit for Wales late on, but Leandro Trossard would seal a comfortable win for the visiting Belgians when he fired home in the final minute.

The Gers maestro delivered another strong performance in the number six role for his country, as Belgium responded to their 0-0 stalemate against North Macedonia last week with a statement performance that helped them move top of their group by a single point, with Rudi Garcia side now just one win away from sealing automatic qualification to next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Following the win against Wales, the Belgian media once again lavished praise on Raskin, with Walfoot.be saying: “A true bulldog in midfield, Nicolas Raskin can once again be credited with an excellent performance for the Red Devils. Despite injury returns, it's hard to see how Rudi Garcia could do without him now."

DH/Les Sports+, and RTBF, also overwhelmingly praised Raskin's display, highlighting his tenacity, while he was credited with helping Belgium regain composure and push forward. Online football scout and content creator @NilsStrpn also took to social media to say: “Raskin has only eight caps with Belgium but is undoubtedly in the top three of the best Red Devils of 2025, all while playing in Scotland. He allows Belgium to catch its breath in heated moments. I never would have thought he’d reach this level.”

“We knew it wouldn't be easy,” said the Ibrox favourite after the game. “It was important to survive the first storm. It didn't work out, but we reacted quickly. Rudi Garcia asked at halftime to play more football. We had more control after that.

“Solid match, we knew we had to be solid for the first 15 minutes, we conceded, which was a shame, but we knew we would have space and we reacted well. The coach had prepared us well, and the important thing is that we won, we hadn't won here since 2012, and we scored four, which balances out with Macedonia [where they scored 0 goals]. The cards are positive, we will gain confidence and win our two matches in November."

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