Nigerian and Scotland champions Rangers’ defender Leon is back from injury and ready to roll again. The tall defender has been out since December making him to miss the Africa Cup of Nations but he’s back, fit and ready to play again.
Speaking before Thursday’s Europa League return leg affair against German big club Borussia Dortmund at Ibrox, the experienced player said he’s happy to be back in the team during this important match.
Balogun has missed the last few matches through injury, including last week’s first-leg, but when asked about his fitness ahead of the game, he responded: “All I can say is I am available again, I am back fit and I have been craving to get ready for these kind of fixtures – I am here and I am ready.”
The Light Blues headed into the UEFA Europa League knockout play-off second-leg with a 4-2 victory following a strong display last Thursday.
Balogun admitted he had ‘mixed feelings’ about goal machine Erling Haaland missing out the tie but knew Dortmund have strength in their squad.
He added: “I think in these competitions you want to compete against the best and I think he is one of the best at the moment so from that perspective it is a sad thing.
“If you look at what he means to Dortmund it is obviously a disadvantage to them. It is going to weaken them up front a little bit but then again they have got enough to compensate. There are mixed feelings but I am definitely not going to complain about that!”
Balogun is on a year extension to his Rangers contract, and aims to prove himself.
It has been a fantastic first campaign for the central defender, who will go down in history as a member of the side to have delivered 55.
He said after winning the league title under Steven Gerrard, and the contract extension, it is an opportunity to go for more silverware, especially in Europe.
He outlined his determination to be part of a group that delivers even more success going forward.
“I am very, very happy,” he told RangersTV. “There have been a few other players coming out with contract extensions and I was thinking to myself, ‘when is it my turn, when are we going to announce it!?’
“But, I have been working towards that. When I first signed, I had that option – I think everyone knows that by now – and for me, it was just about working towards that and it is fantastic.
“I have been here almost two years now and we won the league in my first year being here which, as we all know, is a massive achievement for the club.
“I am proud and happy to be part of that and from day one pretty much, I have felt loads of love from the group and from the staff, and then when the games came in, from the fans on social media although I haven’t met them yet properly!
“Rangers are a massive club. The trophies and the success in the past speak for itself. I have been told that but I have realised now a little bit that this is one of the clubs that has the biggest support worldwide and it is just incredible to be part of that.
“I am in my 30s now – so advanced footballer age – and to get the opportunity to represent a club like this at this stage of my career is amazing and, as I said before, it is the love you feel, the togetherness and that sense of having a family is just massive and I hope the boys and I can repay that.
“I know last season was a bit difficult with all the restrictions and no fans in. I am a bit overwhelmed to be honest – it is incredible and as I said, it is a massive club and I am super, super happy to be part of that and I am looking forward to bringing more success to the club, to the badge and not alone, with the team, and I think we have everything to go for it.”
“The club has been through a lot and, in all fairness, I have not witnessed that – I have only seen the highs in this season.
“But you don’t want to see any lows again and I want to be part of what we are building right now, where we build on the first success we had this season, and for me personally, I wish I had been part of such an environment before as the way everyone has been pushing everyone every day to go to their limit or to set new limits, it is just amazing and you grow as a person, as a character and you learn every day.
“You improve every day and I want to remain part of that for as long as possible, and the next challenge will be to keep setting new limits to push that bar a bit higher.
“I said then I would love to play another World Cup and play in the Champions League. Now, I am one step closer which is amazing.
“I was never going to leave this club before I had met the fans properly and played in front of a full Ibrox, and things seem to be going in the right direction.
“They are the biggest part of the club with the way they carry the club and the pride they bring into the club and how it connects with the players,” Balogun added.