Hagi came off the bench for Rangers in their 1-0 win over Celtic on Saturday, a result that put the Gers 19 points ahead at the top of the league and has put the Romania international on course for his first piece of silverware at the club.
With Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield both out injured, Hagi could receive more opportunities to impress in a light blue shirt in the coming weeks.
Hateley is a fan of the midfielder and feels that he takes instructions from the coaching staff on board, while he still has much developing to do.
However, the Rangers legend feels that compared to Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara, he lacks the initial burst to surge away from a defender.
“I think he’s got the talent, he really has got the talent. He’s got the footballing brain as well, which helps”, Hateley said on the Rangers Ten10Podcast.
“The little key thing for me is that first half a yard when you’re trying to go past a defender, like Aribo or Kamara, that’s the only thing he lacks for me.
“But taking on information, you can see he goes out there and he’s got it in his head. You can see it all the time.
“Very comfortable on both feet. He’s 21 years old [22, Ed], so he’s still a student of the game really.”
Hagi has made 26 appearances across all competitions for Rangers so far this season, chipping in with four goals and ten assists.
