Leon Balogun grateful for Rangers clean slate but frustration at Michael Beale Euro snub lingers

Veteran defender is enjoying playing more regularly under Philippe Clement

Rangers defender Leon Balogun applauds the travelling fans after the 1-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Leon Balogun has hailed Philippe Clement for putting faith in him after the veteran defender's return to Rangers threatened to turn sour.

At 35, Balogun is at a stage of his career where he might not expect to be granted a new lease of life. But he has played six times for the new manager since coming out of the cold in the 5-0 win over Dundee in November. His latest appearance came in Wednesday night’s 1-0 victory against Hearts at Tynecastle.

It was a different story under Michael Beale, who despite moving quickly to bring Balogun back to Ibrox during the summer played him just twice in the opening weeks of the season. The then manager did not even include him in Rangers’ European squad.

Balogun has grabbed the chance to impress Clement. He has been part of a defence that has kept three clean sheets in the last four league games.

The defender has welcomed what has been a clean slate under the Belgian.

“Of course,” he said. “I’m a professional now for 16 years almost, so it doesn’t always go that way. You always think that way and I’ve seen it completely different but I’m happy it went that way. I think he’s been a breath of fresh air for everyone.

“I think what you can see is there is a momentum we are creating right now,” he added. “It would be foolish of us to now think, ‘Ok things are just going to go our way’. But if I look into the dressing room to everybody, I hear the players on the pitch talking to each other, there’s no-one taking anything for granted. We have to keep building.”

Rangers will hope to maintain this momentum against Dundee this weekend. After that comes the significant test of a trip to face Real Betis, with Rangers seeking to preserve their involvement in the Europa League. Balogun will be a frustrated onlooker after missing out on the 25-man squad named by Clement’s predecessor, Michael Beale.

“Obviously I came back here looking forward to the European nights at Ibrox but the decision has been made seven or eight weeks ago,” he said. “For now it’s just about me pushing the team on in any way that I can - in training, from the stands or sideline. That’s just my role now.”