TOTTENHAM are running the rule over Nigerian midfielder Gabriel Reuben.
Reuben is a free agent after terminating his contract at Kilmarnock following a series of disputes with the Scottish Premier League club.
StarSport understands Reuben, 23, has been invited to train with Spurs.
The 23-year-old helped Nigeria qualify for this summer’s World Cup and is expected to be part of their squad for the tournament in Brazil.
Kilmarnock manager Allan Johnston was left to condemn a “harsh” red card given to Gabriel Reuben as they lost 4-1 to Dundee United.
Any chance of a happy 40th celebration for the Killie boss went by the wayside when Nigeria international Reuben was sent off on 22 minutes having been booked twice in quick succession with his first booking in the 18th minute.
It took until the hour mark for United to find a way through, but three more goals followed before Kris Boyd’s late reply, and the visitors have now won five on the spin.
Johnston said: “It was always going to be a hard game against a confident United but I didn’t think there was much in the game before the sending-off.
“The first booking was harsh and I think perhaps the referee was too keen to get his cards out. I can’t complain about Gabriel’s second booking but going down to 10 men is frustrating and spoils the game for everyone.
“I asked the ref (Euan Norris) about the double booking and also at 1-0 when the ball hit a United player’s hand. He said it was unintentional, but both of them were big decisions.”
Rabiu Ibrahim was on the bench for Killie.
Kilmarnock are 10th on the league table with 12 points from 16 games.
Kilmarnock manager Allan Johnston has described as ‘strange’ Gabriel Reuben’s call-up to the Nigeria squad when he has not played this year.
Reuben was an unused substitute in Stephen Keshi’s squad which played beat Ethiopia 2-0 to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, then drew 2-2 with Italy two days later.
“It was strange to get picked for the national team when he hasn’t played at all this year,” Johnston said.
The midfielder joined the club in April, but has failed to kick a ball after suffering injury trouble.
First, he had successive operations on a groin injury which kept him out till August, then picked up a hamstring strain from he has only just fully recovered.
But he was called up by Keshi, who told KickOffNigeria.com after a few training sessions that he was pleased with the conditions of both Reuben and fellow injury returnee Kenneth Omeruo of Chelsea.
“They’re good. I’m impressed with both of them. Their condition level, the technique is there, the touches are there,” Keshi said. “I don’t have a problem with them.”
Reuben however, is unhappy at not playing and reportedly took to Twitter to express his frustration, a move which has earned him reprimand.
“There are other people in front of him that deserve to be there, and it is up to him to prove it differently,” Johnstone said.
“You would be disappointed if they were happy not to play so that’s a good sign that he is desperate to play. But at the end of the day, he needs to do more. And it’s a bit silly to take it to Twitter.”
There may be more misery to come for Kano Pillars when the team returns to Nigeria from Congo, where they journeyed to play AC Leopard in the CAF Champions League.
Despite taking what many thought was a healthy 4 – 1 lead to Congo, the Nigeria champions surprisingly crashed out of Africa’s premier club competition on Sunday evening, losing 3 – 0 to AC Leopard.
Finally, former Nigeria Under 23 international Emmanuel Babayaro has chosen to break his silence to allnigeriasoccer.com on the money he is being owed by Kano Pillars.
It would be recalled that Kano Pillars sold Gabriel Reuben to English agent Tony Harris for 100,000 euros without remitting a percentage of the transfer fee to Babayaro’s Pioneer Academy, who previously had the economic rights of the Nigeria international.
”I am surprised Kano Pillars are claiming Gabriel Reuben left the club as a free agent. I have everything documented and officials of the Nigeria Premier League are aware of this case because I complained to them. Before I reported Kano Pillars to the NPL, I had called the club several times but they were being evasive.
”Gabriel Reuben was sold to Tony Harris for 100,000 euros before the start of the African Cup of Nations. But I was not told about the transaction until Reuben himself informed me. Two years ago, Pioneer Academy sold Reuben to Kano Pillars for 3.5 million Naira, with a 10 % sell on clause inserted into the contract, so they owe the academy 10,000 euros.
”In the first place, why should a player be sold to an individual, is that legal?”Emmanuel Babayaro told allnigeriasoccer.com.
In addition, the Olympic gold medalist wants Kilmarnock to pay training compensation fee to Pioneer Academy, the grassroots club that nurtured Reuben Gabriel.
”I have a lawyer that handles the aspect of training compensation fees we are entitled to. Obiora Nwankwo is one of our players but I don’t want to go into details of how he transferred to Inter Milan.
”We are communicating with Inter and they have promised to send us an amount in excess of 12,000 euros for assisting to train the player. In due course, we shall write Kilmarnock to remit our entitlement,” Emmanuel Babayaro concluded.
At this point, it is unknown if Kilmarnock paid a transfer fee to Kano Pillars or the club’s proxy Tony Harris for the acquisition of Gabriel Reuben.
Scottish side Kilmarnock has moved to beat Sunday’s registration deadline to sign Nigeria internationals Papa Idris and Gabriel Reuben.
It is understood that the Rugby Park side has gained work permit endorsements from the Scottish Football Association for both players who are both free agents having left Kano Pillars earlier in the season.
Kilmarnock boss Kenny Shiels is concerned the club won’t conclude the deals before the SPL deadline to register free agents for the remainder of the campaign but, if successful, says both will add valuable experience at the back.
“There’s a lot of stuff needs to be done,” the Kilmarnock boss told STV. “International Transfer Certificate, paperwork, all that sort of stuff.
“There are two international players we’ve been speaking to. They would be really good for the development of our young players.
“We need that international experience in there to try and help them.
“Defending is difficult because we get forward so much and leave holes in the sides.
“That’s the way we play – with an attacking philosophy. Sometimes there is trade off when you do that.”
MTNFootball.com reports that defender Idris, 23, has been capped three times by his country, while midfielder Reuben, 22, was on the Nigeria squad for the recent Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
Former Nigeria U-20 star Rabiu Ibrahim features for Kilmarnock.
Kano Pillars’ midfielder, Gabriel Reuben is over the moon with his nomination in the end-of-the-season League Bloggers Award (LBA).
Reuben has been nominated to stand in the Best National Team Player and Player of the Year categories in the maiden edition of the LBA.
He told supersport.com: “I’m so happy to be mentioned among some of the best players in the Nigerian Premier League after a very fruitful season with my club, Kano Pillars. It shows that I’m reckoned with and I thank God for that.
“But I’ll say my teammates and the coaches did make this possible because football is a team sport and I wouldn’t have achieved this all by myself.”
On fellow nominees for the two categories in which he will stand for, Reuben believes it is an open floor for any of them to win. He stated that the other nominees did well to be mentioned in the running for the awards in the categories.
“For them to be part of the nominees it means they are good as well and anyone can win in the two categories. But being nominated is a plus for my career,” he said.
Reuben faces a challenge for the Best National Team Player from Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers), Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves) and Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves).
In the Player of The Year category, he will come up against David Tyavkase (Lobi Stars), Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars) and the season’s leading scorer, Sibi Gwar (Niger Tornadoes).
The 2012 LBA will hold in Lagos in October.
LBA Nominees & Categories
1. Rookie of the Year
•Solomon Jabason (Akwa United)
•Austin Amutu (Warri Wolves)
•Andrew Abalogu (ABS)
•Bright Esieme (ABS)
2. Best Goalkeeper
•Femi Thomas (Akwa United)
•Moses Ocheje (Sunshine Stars)
•Theophilus Afelokhai (Kano Pillars)
•Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves)
3. Best Foreigner
•Ousmane Pape Sane (Sharks/Senegal)
•Tamen Medrano (Sunshine Stars/Cameroon)
•Pierre Coly (Sharks/Senegal)
•Adama Coulibaly (Warri Wolves/Mali)
•Owusu Addae (Dolphins/Ghana)
4. Club of the Year
•Kano Pillars
•ABS
•Lobi Stars
•Enugu Rangers
5. Best Designed Club Jersey
•3SC (OWU)
•Warri Wolves (NOMIS)
•Kano Pillars (Cone)
6. Highest Goal Scorer Award
•Sibi Gwar – 16 goals
7. Manager of the Year (NPL)
•Okey Emordi (Enugu Rangers)
•Dominic Iorfa (Lobi Stars)
•Baba Ganaru (Kano Pillars)
8. Manager of the Year (Africa)
•Maurice Cooreman (Warri Wolves)
•Gbenga Ogunbote (Sunshine Stars)
•Lodewijk de Kruif (Heartland)
•Stanley Eguma (Dolphins)
9. Best National Team Player
•Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers)
•Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves)
•Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars)
•Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves)
10. Player of The Year
•Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars)
•David Tyavkase (Lobi Stars)
•Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars)
•Sibi Gwar (Niger Tornadoes)
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