Leon Balogun believes sitting on Nigeria’s team bus as unhappy fans pelted it with stones prepared him for dealing with demands and expectations at Rangers.
The 36-year-old defender and his Gers team-mates had to survive the frustrations and groans from the home fans at Ibrox on Sunday as they struggled to a 1-0 win over Hearts.
Striker Cyriel Dessers scored after six minutes but far from settling Philippe Clement’s side down, the Light Blues toiled to leave their fans in a state of nervous anxiety until the final whistle.
Balogun, in his second spell at Ibrox, recalled a much more volatile situation after Nigeria let slip a comfortable lead in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier four years ago.
“Playing for the Nigerian national team actually prepared me, because believe me or not, they probably have just as much expectation as our supporters,” he said.
“Let me put one out there. I was at Rangers at the time and we played against Sierra Leone.
“We were winning 4-1 – good for me as I came off after 60 minutes – and we ended the game 4-4.
“And on the way back to the hotel, some of the security stuff said, ‘don’t sit next to the windows’.
“Some players closed the curtains and then five minutes into the drive, you turn the corner and they threw stones at the bus, our own fans. So I guess that kind of prepared me.
“The expectation of Nigeria was always really, really high. So I’ve met something like it before, and I think that helped me personally.
“It’s my fourth season at the club, I know what it can be like, and you just have to get on with it to be very honest, there are moments probably where you think, OK, that’s a bit unreasonable, but it’s just the club.
“You have to put that weight on your shoulders as soon as you put on the shirt and deal with it.
“And obviously it can have an impact every now and then, or sometimes for some players more than others, especially if they’re a bit younger, if they’re not used to it.
“But like I said, you have to get on with it.”
Rangers’ victory moved them back to nine points behind William Hill Premiership leaders Celtic and Aberdeen going into the international break.
Balogun believes the Gers made the game against Hearts “a lot harder” than it should have been.
Jambos striker Kenneth Vargas missed a good chance in each half with the Gorgie men leaving Ibrox disappointed at not taking a point with them.
Balogun added: “We had enough moments overall in this game to really take control and have a dominant display.
“Overall, we were quite wasteful with those moments that we then could capitalise on.
“I thought we were actually quite good in the first half.
“Second half, obviously, I don’t think we should defend as much as we did. I mean, not everything was bad, obviously, but you don’t want to play a second half like that, if you start the game like we did.
“But in the end, we still got the win. We’ve got a clean sheet, which for a defensive player is always a good thing.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
