One year ago Joe Aribo had Rangers in Europa League Final dreamland, now he’s all but officially relegated from the Premier League with Southampton.
The Nigerian international midfielder, 26, netted the opener in last year’s Seville showpiece and had Rangers fans dreaming of Euro glory before Rafael Santos Borre’s equaliser.
The Ibrox side would lose on penalty kicks to Eintracht Frankfurt, a painful memory for each and every one of us, before Joe Aribo moved on to St Mary’s in a deal which could reach £10m.
An immensely talented if not inconsistent football player, Joe Aribo has magic in his feet but often lacks the imposition of properly go and command football games.
Now, with Southampton all but relegated from their 11-year English top flight stint, Joe Aribo finds himself routinely out of the side and unable to affect proceedings in a disastrous season on the south coast.
Joe Aribo all but relegated with Southampton
Signed by sacked coach Ralph Hassenhuttl, Joe Aribo was unfancied by Welsh replacement Nathan Jones and has found chances equally at a premium under Ruben Selles. But displacing the midfielder hasn’t worked.
Now – save for an illogical and improbable miracle – Joe Aribo and Southampton will be relegated following a 4-3 defeat to Nottingham Forest. The ex-Charlton star wasn’t even in the squad.
The only thing that can save them is victory in their final three matches whilst also hoping Nottingham Forest lose all of their games and that Everton also fail to pick up a single point. In short, they’re done.
As Joe Aribo reflects on the season just passed, his is a shining example of whilst the grass, and everything else, is always greener away from Ibrox, the skies are rarely bluer.
As a spell in the tough second tier of English football beckons, Joe Aribo serves as a reminder to everyone coming to and leaving Rangers that there is something special about the time spent in Glasgow.
For everything the Nigerian does in his career from now until he hangs up his boots, few moments will top that 12 minutes in Spain when the South Londoner – almost – became the biggest hero in Rangers’ history.
