Glasgow Rangers of Scotland defender, Leon Aderemi Balogun has disclosed that he is eagerly looking forward to playing in the UEFA Champions League group stage next season, megasportsarena.com reports.
With Rangers having already been crowned champions of Scotland for the 55th time in their history, and Balogun winning his first ever domestic laurel since turning pro, the mulatto stopper is now eying i a spot in Europe’s elite clubs’ competition.
The Gers will have to qualify for the group stage through the preliminaries and Balogun admitted that would be a tough route for them to follow, yet the former Dusseldorf, Darmstadt, Weder Bremen and SV Mainz of Germany star is staying upbeat for his team.
While also acknowledging that he would love to return to the country of his birth, Germany, sometime in the future, to again try his fortune in the Bundesliga, Balogun stressed that the biggest thought on his mind now is helping Rangers reach the UCL group stage later this year.
The Super Eagles’ star was equally happy with his return for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg clash against Slavia Prague of Czech Republic, after serving a game ban that saw him miss the first leg last week.
Balogun, who is also relishing how he helped Rangers stop their bitter rivals, Celtic from winning a tenth title in a row, told German television outfit, Sport1: “That it happened in my first year isn’t even a priority.
“The cool thing about this thing is that I’m part of a team that has tried in the past few years to stop the other side of town and polish up the Rangers logo. It never worked and this season the big topic was to stop their ‘Ten in a Row.’
“That is, ten championships in a row – which neither team has yet succeeded in doing. That’s what’s much bigger about history, especially in view of the recent past. Sure, for me it’s the first championship title in my career. But I have to let that sink in first.
“I was born in Berlin and if there were another opportunity for me at home or in Germany, it would be outstanding. But with the Rangers we are first looking at the Champions League, which could be possible if we successfully qualify.
“Who wants to miss this? When I stop playing football, I will return to Germany. If that happens before then, I don’t mind. But my near future lies with the Rangers.”
