Ah, yes, Leon Balogun. No doubt you've been dying to know his story. Born in Germany on 28 June 1988, Balogun is the kind of defender who doesn't feel he's had a good match unless he's dented a striker or two. Standing at 6ft 2in (1.9m) and packing a solid 14st (89kg) of muscle, you'd be forgiven for mistaking him for an underpaid bouncer. He currently plies his trade for Rangers, and has been given the privilege of donning the number 27 jersey.
Balogun's journey around the footballing circuit has been one of interesting the German fans in the 2. Bundesliga initially with Hannover 96. Having made a single first team appearance in the 2008 - 2009 season, and deigned to grace the pitch twice the following season.
In July 2010, Balogun skipped from Hannover 96 to SV Werder Bremen II, probably in hope of a bit more excitement. It seems he got his wish, putting in 28 appearances and a singular goal in season 2010 - 2011, and 20 appearances with three goals the following season.
July 2012 saw Balogun on the move again, this time to Fortuna Dusseldorf. They must have been positively thrilled at his 17 first team appearances in season 2012 - 2013, and an extravagant 11 in 2013 - 2014.
But Balogun had had enough of Dusseldorf by October 2014 and headed for Darmstadt 98. Here he laboured through 21 appearances and even managed four goals in season 2014 - 2015.
The 2015 transfer window saw our globetrotter move to Mainz 05. Here, Balogun treated fans to another carousel of appearances, ranging from a respectable 21 to a more lethargic 14 over the course of three seasons.
And then, July 2018, the Premier League! Brighton & Hove Albion to be precise. Here he put in a blistering eight first-team appearances, including a groundbreaking goal, in season 2018 - 2019.
After a brief sojourn to the lesser confines of Wigan Athletic on loan, where he made 11 first team appearances, he touched down in our fine country of Scotland. The proud club Rangers became his new home in July 2020. As the seasons rolled on, so did Balogun’s performances, varying year-on-year, with his recent season 2024 - 2025 seeing him make an equal number of appearances as season 2023 - 2024.
In the spirit of variety, Balogun was transferred to Queens Park Rangers in the Championship, in August 2022, only to return to Rangers a year later. Balogun’s second stint at Rangers mirrored his previous performances at the club.
Just as you thought our tale was finished, it's worth mentioning Balogun’s participation in League Cup 2024 - 2025, Champions League Qualifiers 2024 - 2025, and the Europa League 2024 - 2025, giving performances that wouldn’t look out of place on a park-pitch on Sunday.
So there you have it, the whirlwind tour of Leon Balogun's career. A journeyman perhaps, but one that's certainly made his mark...or rather, left his studs in some notable places.
