By Dayo Awoniyi
Rangers legend Derek Ferguson has advised defender Leon Balogun to consider leaving the club, despite his recent strong performances.
Ferguson, while acknowledging Balogun’s solid displays since his return, expressed concerns over the 36-year-old’s injury record and age, which he believes could hinder his ability to maintain consistent form for the club.
“Balogun has done terrifically well since coming back in, but he’s 36 and injury-prone,” Ferguson told Ibrox News.
“He’s a good player, but is he someone Rangers should be looking to tie down? No.”
Ferguson, who has been a prominent figure in Rangers’ history, praised Balogun’s contributions during his two spells at Ibrox but suggested that it may be time for the Nigerian defender to move on.
Balogun initially joined Rangers in 2020, left for Queens Park Rangers in 2022, and returned to Ibrox in 2023, where he signed a contract extension last season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
