Nigeria and Glasgow Rangers Joseph Aribo returns for club and country after disturbing injury to appraise his one year stay at Glasgow Rangers.
Joe Aribo says the pressures of playing for Rangers is making him a better player and person as he returns to play for club and country after injury kept him on the sideline for some weeks.
Last Sunday Aribo was on target twice to signify his return in the 8-0 beating of Hamilton Academical in the Scottish Premiership clash.
Aribo admits it is the high level of expectation from Rangers fans and staff which is spurring him and his teammates on into a second half of the season which has started with two wins.
He told the media: “One thing I have always said is that the fans, they are just ruthless, they want to win every game and it has to be by a big margin.
“I know every week I have to perform, I have to be the best that I can be and we have to do that as a team also.
“That pressure makes you a better player and a better person because you know if you’re sloppy or you’re not at your best then you will come out of the team. It is good pressure and it is what you need to be the best that you can be.
“You have to get the chance to play in a position and grab it. I just want to keep being able to grab that position.
“I just want to go out there and express myself, that’s all the gaffer says to me before a game and I am just happy that I am able to do that.
“We know how aggressive and fast this league can be so that was one thing I had to learn when I came here. I am just grateful I am able to have caught up with it and can perform.
“We have to have a quick turnaround in this period of games because you can’t dwell on the last result or the last game; we just have to think about the next fixture that is coming.
“Momentum is a big thing and if you are winning then you just want to keep winning, keep playing and keep the games coming thick and fast so you can keep winning.”
Playing alongside experienced player like Jermain Defoe leading the line for the Gers, Aribo says has also helped.
Defoe was on target last season at Tynecastle when his side won 3-1 but the 1-1 draw earlier in this campaign was a disappointment Aribo would like to make up for.
“We know what Jermain can do and we know what kind of striker he is, whereas Alfredo is very different to him. You have to adapt to who you are playing with and that is what we have to do.
“You can see what Jermain does for us, Glen Kamara and I, we call him Uncle!
“You can see how professional he is, he is the first one in and the last one to go home. It just shows why he is still able to do what he is doing, even at the age he is at.”
On his switch to attack, a role that has helped him score more goals, Aribo believes people are seeing the best he can offer.
He has thrived since moving up on the right of a front three in December and has admitted he wasn’t getting the best out of himself in midfield.
Aribo says his whole life has changed since the switch to Glasgow in June and that his football has benefitted from a new focus on the game.
He said: “The month before the break was a bit of adapting for me because when I was playing in the left 8 position I was a lot deeper.
“Now I am a lot higher up the pitch and get to express myself more. I have very much enjoyed switching position; I am loving it up there.
“I sat down with the gaffer and Mick (Beale) and they said they thought this was the position for me.
“It’s funny because maybe a week before I had sat down with them and said maybe I want to have a go in that position. So it kind of all fell into place and I was just happy.
“I feel like that is when I am at my best, running at defenders and into open spaces, just making things happen in and around the final third.
“I felt like I was a bit timid before and just not myself, I was playing very safe and I just want to make things happen, which is what I’m allowed to do now.
“You always want to do the best and be the best you can be but it is hard when it is not coming off and that is when you shy away from things but you shouldn’t really do that.
“I try to remain calm in all situations, say when we have a big game I go through breathing techniques to help me stay calm.
“I just don’t want to have any negativity in my head so I just always have to think of positives and think that if I make a mistake in a game I am always going to get another chance and then I have to do what I have to do.”
He reflected on the last seven months, saying: “Coming here (to Glasgow) has been a complete change for me, there are just so many days on. When I was down in London there were a lot of days off whereas now you’re always on.
“On my body it is constant football and I would say I have adapted to it well as I come towards the end of the first six months.
“Me being up in Scotland has allowed me to think more of football, when I go home I have to recover better and that has helped me.
“When I was in London I would go and see my friends or be out more whereas in Glasgow I am just around and indoors.
“I like the focus in Scotland because it allows me to focus on what is important and that is football, I always have to perform in every game so it allows me to do that without distraction.”
Aribo said: “It has been really good, we have settled in really well and I am enjoying it.
“We are revisiting what we have done in the season so we are getting back into the pressing and not giving opponents time on the ball.
“When we usually get weeks off it’s the international break so I am away with Nigeria so it is good to get a full week of training together as a squad with the gym involved too.”
Leave a Reply