SWATTING aside Hearts at Hampden on Sunday afternoon and making it through to the Viaplay Cup final was hugely satisfying for everyone associated with Rangers.
The 3-1 triumph means that Philippe Clement’s men, who will return to Mount Florida next month to take on their Premiership rivals Aberdeen, are now just 90 minutes away from lifting silverware.
The performance and result provided further evidence they have put their difficult start to the 2023/24 campaign firmly behind them and suggested that better times lie ahead both at home and abroad.
But for Leon Balogun the outing was especially pleasing.
The Nigerian centre half confessed as he looked back on the one-sided win yesterday that he had questioned if he had a future in Scotland when he went over two months without featuring in the first team this season.
Balogun only came back in to the fray last Wednesday when both John Souttar and Ben Davies were ruled out of the league encounter with Dundee at Dens Park. However, he performed superbly in a 5-0 victory.
He retained his place for the cup tie with Hearts, dovetailed beautifully with Connor Goldson in the heart of the Rangers rearguard and helped to ensure that they did not concede a goal from open play.
The 35-year-old, who returned to Govan in the summer to provide defensive cover after a stint with English Championship club Queens Park Rangers, is far more optimistic about the future holds than he was this time last week.
“It feels good to be in the final,” he said. “When I walked out onto the pitch I thought to myself, ‘it’s nice to be back again’. I am happy we have made it through. I am very, very happy at the moment.
“I am coming off the back of some quite tough weeks shall we say. I found myself out of the active squad, not the whole squad completely. So to come back from that I am just really, really grateful. I am so happy I was able to capitalise on my chance. I’m just looking forward.
“Of course, it was a predicament where you start to think. I’m a bit on the older side now, so I have seen pretty much everything. I did think, ‘okay, yeah, let’s see how this goes.’
“But if you look throughout my whole career, I have hit many, many setbacks, many obstacles. I was never one to stick my head in the sand and give up so I just stayed patient and tried to do my thing in training. I tried to be there for the boys and I was needed last Wednesday. I stepped up and I was rewarded.”
Balogun was delighted when Michael Beale asked him to return to Rangers in July: he had won the Premiership and the Scottish Cup, been involved in the run to the Europa League final and worked under the manager during his previous spell with the Ibrox club.
He was disappointed when the Englishman departed following a poor run of form last month. However, the 46-times capped internationalist has enjoyed being involved under Clement and believes he will get game time under the Belgian if he continues to work hard in training at Auchenhowie every day.
Asked if he had spoken to the former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco coach about why he was not involved, he said: “I actually don’t think that’s in his nature. He spoke to the whole squad and said that everyone will get their chance if they work hard. He’s very clear, which I like.
“That’s why everyone is on their toes, you feel as though you don’t really have a guarantee. The manager said the ones who haven’t been playing will get a chance if they work hard, if they show him in training there will be a moment. I needed to be ready.
“You could probably say I had a point to prove when I came back in, but that’s not how I felt. I just thought, ‘you know what? This is my time to play for my club again’. That’s all I wanted to do. I wanted to do well for myself and represent the badge well too.
“I showed people I can still do it, but I didn’t go into the games thinking I had a point to prove. If you think like that you can put more pressure on yourself. I was just enjoying the chance and I am grabbing it with both hands.”
Rangers won their first Scottish title in 10 years when Beale was a first team coach under Steven Gerrard and Balogun rates his abilities highly. He can, though, understand why Clement has worked at such a high level. He feels the current incumbent of the Ibrox dugout commands total respect from his charges.
“He’s very demanding,” he said. “If you look at his stature and his presence it’s different and that is not a dig at Mick Beale. They are just two completely different characters and he’s got everyone on their toes.
“I wouldn’t say it’s fearful, it’s not intimidating. But you look at him and you think, ‘okay, let me make sure I’m on my A game here’. He asks for standards the whole time and he comes across as quite strict. But he gives you a good level of confidence. He wants you to go at it all the time.”
Balogun, who will not be involved in the Europa League group game with Sparta Prague on Thursday night after being left out of the European squad by Beale, is far better acquainted with Goldson than Clement.
He has enjoyed renewing his partnership with his fellow centre back and would like to play alongside him in the League Cup final next month and complete his set of Scottish medals.
“I think it helps that we know each other,” he said. “It always reminds me of my colleague when we played in national team, William Troost-Ekong. People said the same about us.
“I don’t know if that’s down to me personally or the other guy, but I am happy with the chemistry and the understanding is there. It works out for us and for the team and that’s the most important thing.
“The club hasn’t won the League Cup in 12 years so obviously it is massive to get to the final. If I was to be involved in that having come back for a second spell then I would be happy beyond measure.”
