Nigeria Players Abroad
Rangers’ Leon Balogun drops secret to stop Celtic’s Scotland dominance

By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Nigeria defender Leon Balogun has emphasized the key factors Rangers must address to reclaim the Scottish Premiership title from Celtic’s dominance.
The 36-year-old was part of the Rangers squad that broke Celtic’s nine-year winning streak by clinching the league title in the 2020/21 season under Steven Gerrard. However, Celtic regained their supremacy with consecutive titles under Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers.
Balogun, known for his contributions to Rangers’ solid defensive performances, is now preparing for his first preseason under new manager Philippe Clement, returning to Glasgow after a year at QPR.
“We need to have a shift in mentality and build more confidence,” Balogun told Sky Sports News. “We need to build that through preseason, but that’s a process that we need to work on every day by reputation mainly and gaining confidence in what you do.
“Under the manager, we’ve seen what he was able to do in a very short period of time. Given he now has a full preseason to work with us to implement his ideas, that’s one factor. Apart from that, it’s about our consistency every year and addressing any weaknesses from last season to ensure they don’t resurface.
“If you want to be the champion, you need to beat your rivals. That was our stumbling block last season, and we need to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Balogun’s insights reflect Rangers’ determination to overcome Celtic’s dominance and reclaim the Scottish Premiership title in the upcoming season.