Euro adventure ensures Aribo has no regrets over move to Ibrox
Thrilling Euro adventure is enough evidence for Aribo that Rangers was the ideal destination to make genuine progress
HAD Joe Aribo listened to his former manager Lee Bowyer, he would be heading for Kenilworth Road on a midweek date in late February. Brentford, the club Bowyer claimed would be perfect for Aribo as he trashed his star player’s transfer to Rangers, travel to relegation-threatened Luton Town in the Championship.
Instead of being bound for Bedfordshire, Aribo could be tackling a trip to play Basle, Braga or Benfica that week in a secondleg tie of the Europa League’s Round of 32.
And those are not even the brightest lights potentially on the horizon for the 23-year-old who won’t ever be in a rush to consult Charlton Athletic boss Bowyer for career advice.
Possible opponents for Rangers include Ajax, Arsenal, Manchester United, Sevilla and Inter Milan. Aribo will discover his destination in tomorrow’s draw.
In the meantime, savouring a successful group campaign has allowed the London-born schemer a brief opportunity to reflect on a sound decision to snub much criticism from down south of his move to Scotland.
Aribo’s skill and presence made him a persistent menace and a major match-up problem to the Young Boys defence on Thursday night as Rangers secured progress with a 1-1 draw.
That was his first start in Group G yet he featured in seven of the club’s eight-match qualifying run and came off the bench in the home win over Feyenoord, plus both ties against Porto.
All of which makes a thorough mockery of Bowyer waving Aribo off with a warning that he had made a major wrong turn by selecting Glasgow ahead of Griffin Park.
‘I’ve enjoyed every minute of playing in the Europa League,’ grinned Aribo. ‘It was one of the tasty things that brought me to the club in the first place and it’s been great to be involved so much.
‘Listen, there have been so many new experiences for me since I came here. We had a fantastic end to last season with Charlton, winning the play-off at Wembley and getting promoted, but since then it’s just got better and better.
‘I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground, to take it all one thing at a time. But there’s no doubt it’s really exciting.
‘And getting to the knockout stage in Europe is definitely the highlight of it all so far — this is a massive one.
‘It’s so sweet and the boys are buzzing, even if it was a little hard to take not finishing top of the group.
‘But the goal was to get through and we’ve done that. We’re really happy. It’d be good to get one of the English teams next in Europe but, to be honest, I’m not fussed.
‘We just want a good tie and to do our best to try and get through. Even making it to the group in the first place was huge.
‘All I know is that moving here was 100 per cent the right thing to do. This is the right place for me.’
Right place, wrong mentality has been a story for many an arrival at Rangers from the English lower leagues over the years.
The culture shock of the crazed pressures doesn’t make Ibrox an easy landing spot for the young and uninitiated and Aribo confesses he comes into that category.
Even in League One life, Aribo admits there were question marks over the strength of his mindset. So that negative would quickly have him rumbled as the weakest link when dropped in the deep end of adapting to Rangers.
Aribo may have some way to go to ironing out the inconsistency in his game but he’s improving at a pleasing rate, while dealing with the step up in class provided by tests against Celtic and the European examinations.
Aribo explained: ‘One thing I soon realised here was just how intense it is and just how many games there are.
‘We play, then next day we’re in for recovery, the day after that it’s prep for another game three days later. And it’s hard, no question. ‘I’ve had to take care of my body
much better now, stretch more, recover better. It’s another level.
‘Playing in English leagues was relentless, yeah, but the difference here is that we have to win every game.
‘In the lower leagues down south, there just isn’t that level of pressure. You could lose and, although it hurt, you felt like there was always next week. It’s not like that at Rangers. ‘Rangers are one of the giants and that brings so much pressure. We have to battle with them across the road every single week.
‘For me, that has made me a better character. It’s made me back myself more. In the past, some people might have said I was a bit weakminded. But being here has definitely made me the person I’m going to be in the future.
Playing here brings so much pressure. That has made me a better character
I’ve also had success at international level. It’s been an incredible six months
‘Before, I was too inconsistent. I’d be good one week, then next week maybe not so good.
‘But I’ve learned up here that I need to be on it every single game — or I won’t play.
‘It’s a mindset of telling yourself not to be scared, to get on the ball and be relentless. You have to ask yourself: “What’s the worst that can happen?”
‘Whether people think they’ve seen the best of me so far will be for them to judge.
‘But, for me, there’s more to come.’
Nigerian national coach Gernot Rohr joined the vindication party of Aribo’s switch to Scotland by acknowledging his big-game capabilities.
Aribo subsequently scored on his senior international debut against Ukraine and followed up with a goal in a friendly draw with Brazil in Singapore in October.
‘I’ve also had success at international level now, so the past six months have been amazing,’ said Aribo.
‘I haven’t really had time to sit down and take it all in, things happens so fast.
‘But if I do ever get the chance to reflect, I’ll just be buzzing.
‘Right now, there’s just no time to stop and dwell.
‘The games keep coming, you just have to keep moving, keep working and that’s what I’ll be doing.’