Rangers Made To Rue Leon Balogun Release Amid Injury Crisis

Rangers Made To Rue Leon Balogun Release Amid Injury Crisis

Ibraheem Lateef Ayodele

Scottish giants Rangers are being made to rue the exit of Super Eagles centre-back Leon Balogun as the big defender keeps Queens Park Rangers top of the English Championship, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

According to Rangers News, the Nigerian defender, 33, was released in the summer after two years with the club despite clear intimations he wanted to stick around Ibrox.

But whilst the Gers remain a part of the ex-Brighton, Wigan and Mainz man’s heart, the German-born defender has switched the Rangers of Glasgow for the Rangers of London and he’s making a big impression.

Signed by former Rangers coach Michael Beale in the summer, with the talented coach in his first top job at QPR, it’s fair to say Leon Balogun has been a revelation at Loftus Road.

Marked out as a leader amongst the squad, Balogun has played in eight of the Championship side’s eleven league matches this season and nabbed his first goal for the club this weekend.

The defender scored the eventual winner in the 24th minute of the 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic, rising highest to head the ball in from a corner.

The goal came after Sam Field had volleyed QPR ahead and Nathan Broadhead had repeated the trick for the Latics at the other side of the pitch.

It sums up the contribution of the QPR defender as Leon Balogun keeps the club top of the Championship and Rangers perhaps wonder what might’ve been.

The Nigerian defender wasn’t always available through injury but was an influential presence at Ibrox, with Rangers turning down his pleas to stick around.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Rangers defensively since then, with summer signing John Souttar joining vice-captain Connor Goldson and Swedish international Filip Helander on an extensive injury list.

How Rangers could’ve used the big man’s leadership and experience in recent weeks as performances begin to slide and results have now started to follow.