IANIS HAGI insists he will use his spell on the sidelines to 'discover and develop myself as a person and football player' after the Rangers midfielder was ruled out for the remainder of the season.

The 23-year-old underwent an operation and Giovanni van Bronckhorst has admitted that he does not expect the playmaker to play again before next season.

However, Hagi remains in high spirits as he released a statement on Twitter where he outlined his intentions to make the most of his time out as he thanked fans for their messages of support.

"I know there will be some tough times ahead of me as well but I definitely see this as an opportunity to discover and develop myself as a person and football player, and will come back better than ever," Hagi wrote.

"The road to recovery begins. Thank you for all the kind messages!!!"