Eguavoen Urges Balogun to Quit Brighton, Revive Football Career Elsewhere

Former Super Eagles defender and coach Austin Eguavoen wants Super Eagles and Brighton defender, Leon Balogun, to salvage his club and international career by moving to another club, Completesports.com reports.

Balogun teamed up with Brighton & Hove Albion last season from German Bundesliga side Mainz 05 and played eight Premier League games totaling 591 minutes with one goal to his credit in his first season. The 31-year old has however, fallen out of favour this season and is yet to
feature in any Premier League game this term only managing to make it to the bench on four occasions.

The Nigeria international has played only 90 minutes of competitive match for Brighton this season and that was in a 2-1 League Cup win at Bristol Rovers on 27 August, 2019.

Balogun’s lack of regular playing time at Brighton has seen him lose his place in the Super Eagles. He was not called up by coach Gernot Rohr for the recent 2021 AFCON qualifying games against Benin Republic and Lesotho during the last international break.

Speaking in a telephone chat with Complete Sports, , Eguavoen tasks Balogun’s agent to get another club for the defender.

“Balogun is a good player, but he needs to start playing regularly to be able to resuscitate his club and national team football,” Eguavoen said.

“Now that he is not getting games at Brighton, he has to look at his options – either to bid his time and fight for his place or seek a move to another club elsewhere provided there are clubs showing interest in him.

“If there are no clubs showing interest in him, then it is the job of his agent to earn his pay by getting a club for him. A loan move to another club during the coming January window or a move to the lower division will do.

“What is important is for him to move to a club where he will get to play regular football to boost his confidence and give him the much needed match-fitness which will ultimately help him revive his Eagles career,” Eguavoen, a member of the Super Eagles squad that won the 1994 AFCON and went on to star for Nigeria at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups concluded.

By Sulaiman Alao