Ianis Hagi was the most recognisable face and the most famous name within the Romania squad that arrived at the Allianz Arena on Monday. He was not, though, the most important or influential figure on the park on a momentous afternoon.

The sight of ‘Hagi 10’ embroidered on that famous yellow jersey provoked fond memories for those of a certain generation. Hundreds, thousands perhaps, wore replicas in the stand. The one that mattered took a seat on the bench.

The promotional material on the BBC iPlayer for the Group E fixture with Ukraine used an image of Hagi. On the official Euro 2024 app, it was a Hagi strike that was the screenshot used to entice viewers in. A few flicks of the finger and you scrolled to a good luck message from the epicentre of the hyperbole - Hagi’s father, Gheorghe. Quite simply, there is not a surname or a family in the country that carries as much history or hysteria.

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As Romania celebrated a ground-breaking 3-0 victory, it was Hagi who was front and centre, leading the swathes of yellow shirts in song as he chanted through a megaphone. It was a picture that told a thousand words. Yet the events of the previous couple of hours were perhaps more indicative of where Hagi – the son, the forward, even the myth – is right now in his career.

Hagi spent the first 62 minutes of this match watching on from a seat behind manager Edward Iordănescu. By the time he was introduced, the game was long won. Nicolae Stanciu, the Romanian captain, set the tone with a finish that was matched in its power and precision as he swept the ball home from the edge of the area. A long-range strike from Razvan Marin was followed by one from closer to goal as Denis Dragus converted a Dennis Man cross.

Hagi’s moment arrived soon afterwards as Man made way. At 25, he was following in his father’s footsteps by appearing at a major finals for his country. Hagi carries the weight of a name that is almost impossible to live up to.

The fact that he was here at all was something, though. The knee injury that he sustained against Stirling Albion two-and-a-half years ago has proven to be the beginning of the end of his Rangers career. Thankfully, his international aspirations have not suffered the same fate. Hagi is a student of the game, a thoughtful, open character that has always been a credit to himself and his family. This need not be the pinnacle for him but he is at a crossroads, hoping international exposure will point him in a new and better direction after a season that was a domestic dead end.

Midway through the campaign, Iordanescu travelled to Spain to have a heart-to-heart with Hagi. At that stage, a loan move to Alaves that was designed to see him move through the gears had only seen him stall. In the end, a return of 22 La Liga appearances and four in the Copa del Rey were enough to earn Hagi a place in Germany but they were not going to be enough to earn him a place in the starting line-up. When he did feature, it was from the right of a three that he operated rather than in the central playmaker role that is synonymous with the number on his back.

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Hagi joined up with the national squad as a Rangers player in name only. It is perhaps ironic that the only representative from Ibrox at the finals is heading out of the club sooner rather than later. In many ways, that sums up one of the problems for Philippe Clement to solve this summer.

Hagi's father has spoken repeatedly about his wish for him to return to Glasgow and pick up where he left off. If that starting point was the end of the 55 season, then supporters would have been willing to give him a chance. There is a sense, however, that Hagi’s time has come and gone, that events and evolution have overtaken him.

Those days under Steven Gerrard – when his famous ‘Ibrox baby’ proclamation saw him fall in love with the support and vice versa – seem such a long time ago. On his day, Hagi was an effective, influential operator for Rangers, albeit probably not one that was as good as his old man perhaps believed or believes. Injury cruelly denied him a place on the run to Seville and then saw him fall down the pecking order behind players who were arguably not as accomplished as him at his peak.

(Image: Getty)

If he had known that Michael Beale would only last a matter of weeks as manager last term, maybe Hagi would have stuck it out and stayed. He was happy in Glasgow, he got it at Rangers. He left for the right reasons but still looked like a man in the wrong movie as he failed to light up the league where Gheorghe shone with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

In an interview earlier this month, he put ‘pressure’ on his agents to decide his future while he focused on the Euros. There was a recognition of how defining this summer could be for him and why he had to find the ‘right team and the right manager’. They were not the words of a forward who believed he was returning to Ibrox to stake a claim for a spot.

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Hagi will leave Rangers and there is no doubt over the when. The why is clear, too. Yet the how, or the how much to be exact, will be intriguing. His only worth to Rangers now is on the balance sheet. That was not the motivation behind the good luck message that was posted on the official club X account before kick-off, but Hagi’s importance is now measured in financial rather than football terms.

Progression from Group E is the ambition for Romania. The more games they play, the more minutes that Hagi features in, the better the situation is for Rangers in terms of convincing a buyer, no doubt attracted by the name and the highlights reel, that Hagi is worth an outlay. He will not command a transformative transfer fee, but when there is as much work needing done as there is at Ibrox, every pound that can be recycled will be beneficial to Clement.

The Hagi name will be on many lips over the coming days. In a matter of weeks, it will be only fond farewells that are said at Ibrox.