Joe Aribo told he still has Rangers magic amid Southampton woe as special traits make him shine WITHOUT playing

The 27-year-old has had a tough time of it since heading south of the border again.

Joe Aribo still has the quality that makes him a star for Nigeria even when he's NOT playing - amid the former Rangers playmaker's Southampton woe.

It was only in May 2022 that the attack-minded player was scoring for the Light Blues in a Europa League final, but his move to the then-Premier League Saints has gone awry. They were relegated to the Championship with Aribo gradually being frozen out of plans, making 21 league outings and so far this term, has played 33 minutes across four second tier games.

Nigeria boss Jose Peseiro has tackled questions on the playmaker, and says the quality which Rangers fans know all about make him primed to shine even without regular minutes. He told AllNigeriaSoccer: "What I can say is that he doesn't play too much in the club, yes. But I believe in him. There are some players, not all the players, I think they have quality and capacity even without playing in the club.

"Of course, he didn't get too much time but he played. Me and my staff see 40 to 50 matches each weekend and in the middle when they play UEFA competitions and we check them on the television, live. If he's here, he is a good condition to play with us."

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