Have Rangers found their own Ndidi? Leon Balogun compares teammate to Leicester midfielder

Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun has lavished praise on his teammate, Connor Barron hailing him as a "double engine" after his impressive performances against Hearts.

The Nigerian defender likened the midfielder's work rate and versatility to that of Leicester City's Wilfred Ndidi, a player renowned for his tireless engine and ability to control the midfield.

Balogun has played a vital role in Rangers' campaign this season, appearing in eight of their eleven league matches. He also played the full 90 minutes in their 1-0 win over Hearts on Sunday.

On the other hand, Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers extended his scoring run, netting the only goal of the match in the sixth minute, despite being overlooked by interim manager Austin Eguavoen for the national team.

In an interview with Rangers TV, Balogun spoke highly of Connor Barron's contributions, noting the similarities between him and Ndidi's playing style.

"Connor Barron as well. He’s struggled with injuries but now he’s back. I made a comment about him the other day, called him the double engine, which I used to call Ndidi at the national team because he just runs and keeps running. I think they all try their best, but it’s something you have to deal with," Balogun said. 

In 2014, Leon Balogun made his debut for the Nigerian national team in a friendly match against Mexico, where he substituted for Joseph Yobo.

Since then, he has earned 46 caps for Nigeria and scored one goal.

Despite his solid performance and consistent playing time with Rangers, Balogun has been overlooked by the national team since 2022.

He was notably not included in the squad for the matches against Benin and Rwanda in November during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Adeyemi Adewale

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