Rangers FC Player Profile - Leon Balogun
By Umair Mirxa
Leon Aderemi Balogun was born on 28th June 1988 in Berlin, Germany. He played his early football at local club Hertha BSC, before moving to Hertha Zehlendorf, and then to Türkiyemspor Berlin in 2007—where he scored four goals in 29 appearances.
Early Football and Senior Debut
In 2008, he moved to Hannover 96, and made 37 appearances for the reserve team, scoring one goal. He made his debut for the first team in April 2009, in the Bundesliga against Hamburger SV. It was the first of three appearances he made for the club before joining Werder Bremen in 2010.
He scored four goals in 49 appearances for their reserve team, but once again played in just three matches with the senior side.
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Breakthrough in the Bundesliga
Balogun moved to fellow Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf in July 2012. He scored one goal in four games for the reserve side but broke in to the first team proper, and went on to make 30 senior appearances. Unfortunately, the club were relegated in his first season at the club.
In October 2014, with his contract at Fortuna Düsseldorf having expired in June, Balogun signed for one year with Darmstadt 98 in 2. Bundesliga, and scored four goals in 21 appearances during the season.
Next season, Balogun joined Bundesliga team Mainz 05. He had already made his international debut with Nigeria against Mexico in March 2014, and quickly established himself in the first team. Over the next three seasons, he made 58 senior appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal.
The Move Abroad to British Shores
In July 2018, Balogun signed for English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. However, he struggled to settle in the new league and country.
He scored one goal in 12 appearances before joining Wigan Athletic on loan in January 2020. He made six appearances in the Championship to the end of the season, and then joined the Latics permanently for the short-term in June.
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First Move to Glasgow
Balogun moved to Rangers Football Club in July 2020, signing for one year with the option to extend. He scored two goals in 65 appearances in his first spell with the club, helping them win the Scottish Premiership in 2020-21, and the Scottish Cup in 2021-22.
To London and Back
In August 2022, Balogun signed for Queens Park Rangers for one year. He scored one goal in 16 appearances for the Championship side.
At the end of his contract, he returned to the Light Blues in July 2023 for his second spell at the club, and helped them win the League Cup in 2023-24 to complete his collection of domestic Scottish trophies.
“I am just excited to be honest, it is still a bit unreal but it is very real, so I am just really really happy to be back at Rangers – it feels like coming home,” said Balogun, upon rejoining Rangers FC.
“Since I have left, I have always felt a lot of appreciation and love from friends I have made in Glasgow and around the club and now that I am back it is nice to say the least.
“I know second is no option, I know what people are going to say very quickly if we are not performing so it is time to get to work, put our best foot forward and make sure we get the results that we need.”
Across his two spells, Balogun has made 89 total appearances to date, scoring two goals and three assists. He has represented Nigeria at international level in 46 matches, and scored one goal.