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Player says Rangers spell behind move to top league

Insists he did well for Philippe Clement

Leon Balogun has credited his time under former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard for giving him the belief that he could play in one of Europe's top leagues.

The Nigeria international defender joined QPR on a free transfer over the summer after leaving Ibrox when his contract expired.

Balogun impressed during his two years in Glasgow, making 65 appearances in all competitions.

He was part of the Rangers side that won the Scottish Premiership title in 2021 and reached the final of the Europa League last season.

Balogun believes Gerrard played a big role in his development during his time at Rangers.

“Steven Gerrard was a big influence on me,” said Balogun.

“He gave me the belief that I could play at the highest level.”

“I learned a lot from him, both on and off the pitch.”

Balogun is now looking forward to a new challenge in the Championship with QPR.

“I'm excited to be here,” said Balogun.

“I think QPR is a great club with a lot of potential.”

“I'm looking forward to helping the team achieve its goals this season.”

Balogun is not the only player to have credited Gerrard for helping them develop their careers.

The likes of Joe Aribo, Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey have all spoken about the positive impact Gerrard had on them during their time at Rangers.

Gerrard left Rangers in November 2021 to take over as manager of Aston Villa.

He has since been replaced by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who led Rangers to the Scottish Cup last season.

Rangers are currently top of the Scottish Premiership table, three points ahead of Celtic.

They will be looking to win their second league title in a row under van Bronckhorst this season.