Bonnyloyal
Well-Known Member
SHEYI OJO has spent his whole career looking for love.
Now the winger reckons he’s finally found it at Rangers.
After four loan spells, the 22-year-old is desperate for a club to embrace his talents and put an arm round his shoulder.
Ojo looked on from a distance as the Rangers support took his Liverpool team-mate Ryan Kent to their hearts last season.
And he wants a piece of that affection for himself after penning a 12-month loan deal at Ibrox.
Ojo — who has the word ‘Love’ tattooed on his right bicep — admits he’s already beginning to feel at home despite only hooking up with the Gers squad for the first time last week.
He said: “The tattoo on my arm says most about me. Only because everyone wants to be loved.
“Love is the most important thing, especially as a footballer, you want to have that family behind you.
“If you can get that then it is an amazing feeling.
“When you go on loan all the time you don’t have that stability.
“I’m hoping that this season I can find that family within Rangers.
“I knew this season could be the most important one for me and this move just felt right.
“I’m already in love with Rangers. The club just feels like a proper family. Compared to Rangers the other loan spells I’ve had haven’t felt like that.”
Ojo came through the Anfield youth system with Kent, who quickly sold him on the benefits of heading north of the border.
He said: “I knew Ryan well as I came through the academy at Liverpool with him. I think we are similar types of characters and have had similar loan spells.
“Every footballer needs that opportunity to feel loved and Ryan showed that last season when he had the backing of the manager.
“He had a great season and became a favourite with the fans.
“Hopefully I can do the same and show everyone what I can do.
“I spoke to him before I joined and he said he loved it up here.
“He spoke highly of the staff, the players and the fans.
“He said that from every point of view it was the best loan you could have. As soon as Rangers wanted to sign me I didn’t have anything to think about. It was straightforward.
“I can’t control any of the stuff about the possibility of Ryan coming back but if he came then it would be just like in the academy. Hopefully we can be tearing up the league.”
Ojo had no shortage of options for next season but when Steven Gerrard made his sales pitch, he admits the decision to join Rangers was a no-brainer.
The fact that former Liverpool youth coaches Michael Beale and Tom Culshaw were part of the set-up was another attraction.
Ojo added: “I feel Rangers are a massive club and, after speaking with the manager, I felt it was the best decision to come here.
“It is very similar to Liverpool. The stadium is massive, they have great fans and they have some great players in the squad now.
“Hopefully, I can help the team and have a consistent season of good football.
“The manager’s last season at Liverpool as a player was my breakthrough season at the club.
“I was training with him while I already knew all the backroom staff from Liverpool.
“That was an added bonus when I came here. I already knew the manager and his staff.”
Ojo arrives in Glasgow with almost 80 first-team games under his belt for Liverpool, Wigan, Wolves, Fulham and French outfit Reims.
The youngster feels he benefited from each of his loan stints although, after being given free rein by Gerrard to express himself, he’s confident Rangers will see the best of him.
He added: “That’s what I am most excited about. I know that if I work hard for the manager I will have that opportunity to be myself.
“On the other loan spells, I didn’t feel like I had that opportunity. This season I am really focused on showing what I can really do.
“Last season I was desperate to play and I wanted a different challenge so that’s why I went to the French league.
“That was my most important loan and while I didn’t play as often as I’d have liked I felt I learnt a lot about what I need to be like in the future.
“I felt I learned more about myself as a person. During all my loan spells I didn’t really play like myself.
“I did what I needed to do to try and fit into the team.
“I realised that if I play the way I prefer to then the best version of me will come through
“Touch wood I don’t get any injuries and I will have a very good season. Whenever I speak to the staff at Liverpool they all have high hopes for me.
“It is just about getting that consistent season under my belt and taking it from there."
Now the winger reckons he’s finally found it at Rangers.
After four loan spells, the 22-year-old is desperate for a club to embrace his talents and put an arm round his shoulder.
Ojo looked on from a distance as the Rangers support took his Liverpool team-mate Ryan Kent to their hearts last season.
And he wants a piece of that affection for himself after penning a 12-month loan deal at Ibrox.
Ojo — who has the word ‘Love’ tattooed on his right bicep — admits he’s already beginning to feel at home despite only hooking up with the Gers squad for the first time last week.
He said: “The tattoo on my arm says most about me. Only because everyone wants to be loved.
“Love is the most important thing, especially as a footballer, you want to have that family behind you.
“If you can get that then it is an amazing feeling.
“When you go on loan all the time you don’t have that stability.
“I’m hoping that this season I can find that family within Rangers.
“I knew this season could be the most important one for me and this move just felt right.
“I’m already in love with Rangers. The club just feels like a proper family. Compared to Rangers the other loan spells I’ve had haven’t felt like that.”
Ojo came through the Anfield youth system with Kent, who quickly sold him on the benefits of heading north of the border.
He said: “I knew Ryan well as I came through the academy at Liverpool with him. I think we are similar types of characters and have had similar loan spells.
“Every footballer needs that opportunity to feel loved and Ryan showed that last season when he had the backing of the manager.
“He had a great season and became a favourite with the fans.
“Hopefully I can do the same and show everyone what I can do.
“I spoke to him before I joined and he said he loved it up here.
“He spoke highly of the staff, the players and the fans.
“He said that from every point of view it was the best loan you could have. As soon as Rangers wanted to sign me I didn’t have anything to think about. It was straightforward.
“I can’t control any of the stuff about the possibility of Ryan coming back but if he came then it would be just like in the academy. Hopefully we can be tearing up the league.”
Ojo had no shortage of options for next season but when Steven Gerrard made his sales pitch, he admits the decision to join Rangers was a no-brainer.
The fact that former Liverpool youth coaches Michael Beale and Tom Culshaw were part of the set-up was another attraction.
Ojo added: “I feel Rangers are a massive club and, after speaking with the manager, I felt it was the best decision to come here.
“It is very similar to Liverpool. The stadium is massive, they have great fans and they have some great players in the squad now.
“Hopefully, I can help the team and have a consistent season of good football.
“The manager’s last season at Liverpool as a player was my breakthrough season at the club.
“I was training with him while I already knew all the backroom staff from Liverpool.
“That was an added bonus when I came here. I already knew the manager and his staff.”
Ojo arrives in Glasgow with almost 80 first-team games under his belt for Liverpool, Wigan, Wolves, Fulham and French outfit Reims.
The youngster feels he benefited from each of his loan stints although, after being given free rein by Gerrard to express himself, he’s confident Rangers will see the best of him.
He added: “That’s what I am most excited about. I know that if I work hard for the manager I will have that opportunity to be myself.
“On the other loan spells, I didn’t feel like I had that opportunity. This season I am really focused on showing what I can really do.
“Last season I was desperate to play and I wanted a different challenge so that’s why I went to the French league.
“That was my most important loan and while I didn’t play as often as I’d have liked I felt I learnt a lot about what I need to be like in the future.
“I felt I learned more about myself as a person. During all my loan spells I didn’t really play like myself.
“I did what I needed to do to try and fit into the team.
“I realised that if I play the way I prefer to then the best version of me will come through
“Touch wood I don’t get any injuries and I will have a very good season. Whenever I speak to the staff at Liverpool they all have high hopes for me.
“It is just about getting that consistent season under my belt and taking it from there."