Over six months on from my Rangers exit, I’m ‘working on’ a return to Scotland
Football careers have a way of curving back on themselves. A player leaves a club, heads abroad in search of a new start, finds that it does not work out and then, after months of uncertainty, ends up looking for a home in the country he left behind. That appears to be the situation facing Rabbi Matondo, the former Rangers winger whose name has resurfaced in connection with Hibernian. According to a report from Sky Sports, the Edinburgh club are working on a deal to sign the 26-year-old Wales international, a move that would bring him back to Scottish football more than half a year after his exit from Ibrox.
The basic facts are straightforward. Matondo is a free agent after his contract with the Norwegian club SK Brann was terminated towards the end of the summer transfer window. He left Rangers in March, having made 70 appearances during a four-year spell at the club, and joined Brann afterwards, only to feature in just three matches before the arrangement came to an end. That is a short and disappointing chapter, and it leaves him in the position of a player with plenty of experience, a decent international record and a point to prove, but without a club at a stage of the season when most squads are already settled.
His situation has been resolved, at least in part, by an opportunity at Easter Road. Matondo has been training with Hibs as a trialist in recent weeks, a stint that followed the appointment of a new head coach, Marink Reedijk. Trials are a common route for free agents at this time of year, because they allow both sides to assess each other without making a commitment. The player gets to show his fitness and sharpness, while the club can judge whether he fits the system and the dressing room. The reports suggest that the trial went well, which is why the conversation has now moved to the stage of working on a deal.
The evidence from the trial is limited but encouraging. According to Sky Sports, Matondo impressed during his time with the club, scoring two goals and providing two assists in two bounce matches. Bounce games are not competitive fixtures, and it would be a mistake to read too much into them, but they do serve a useful purpose. For a player who has not been playing regularly, producing goals and assists in match conditions is a good indication of sharpness, and it will have given Reedijk and his staff something concrete to evaluate. In a trial, a winger who shows that he can still beat defenders and finish moves is making exactly the right kind of case.
It is worth thinking about what Hibs would be getting. Matondo is a winger whose game has long been associated with speed and directness, and a Wales international who has played in a variety of leagues and environments. At 26, he is in what should be the prime of his career, even if the last few months have been difficult. For a club in the Scottish Premiership, a player with that profile can offer something different from the typical wide options, particularly in matches where the opposition sits deep and the team needs someone to stretch the pitch. The risk is that a player who has not had a settled run in some time may need a period of adjustment before he reaches full effectiveness.
The figure of 70 appearances in four years at Rangers deserves a closer look. It works out at roughly 17 or 18 games a season, which is not a high number for a player at a big club and suggests that Matondo’s time at Ibrox was characterised by rotation, injuries or a struggle for consistent minutes. That does not necessarily mean that he performed badly. Wingers, in particular, are often used as impact substitutes or rotated depending on the opposition, and managers at Rangers changed several times during his stay. But it does mean that the picture of his time in Glasgow is one of contributions in moments rather than sustained dominance, and that is a context Hibs will understand.
The move to Brann was presumably meant to change that. A switch to Norway offers regular football in a competitive league, and for a player looking to rebuild his confidence, it can be an attractive step. The fact that he made only three appearances before his contract was terminated tells its own story, and the details of what went wrong are not clear from the reports. It could have been a question of fit, of fitness or of a change in the coaching staff’s plans. Whatever the reason, the experience has left him in the position of having to start again, which is difficult for any footballer, particularly at a time when clubs have filled their squads and the transfer window has closed.
That last point is relevant to the practicalities. Free agents occupy an unusual position, because they are not tied to a club and can generally be signed outside the usual transfer windows, subject to the rules of the league and the governing bodies. That flexibility is why trials are so common in September and October, when players without contracts are looking for work and clubs have injuries or gaps to fill. For Hibs, signing a free agent costs no transfer fee, which makes the move financially attractive, and the main outlay would be wages. For Matondo, the benefit is the chance to play regularly again in a league he knows well.
His familiarity with the Scottish game is part of the appeal. After four years at Rangers, he understands the pace, the physicality and the culture of the Premiership, which means that he would not need to spend months adapting. That is a significant advantage for a club that wants an immediate return. He also knows what it is like to play in big matches, in front of large crowds and against the best teams in the country, and that experience is hard to replicate. A player who has been through the pressure of Old Firm fixtures and European nights is likely to handle the demands of a mid-table or top-half challenge with some composure.
The timing of the interest is also notable. Hibs have a new head coach in Marink Reedijk, and new managers typically look to impose their own ideas by bringing in players who suit their approach. Reedijk’s appointment, which came after a period of change at the club, has been followed by an effort to shape the squad in his image, and a trialist who impresses in his first weeks is exactly the kind of addition that can help. The head coach can see the player in training every day, test him in different situations and gain a sense of his attitude. If the staff are satisfied, the decision to push for a contract becomes easier.
Hibs’ recent results show why attacking quality matters. The team drew 1-1 with Aberdeen in its most recent league match, one of several draws in the latest round of fixtures, and it faces Dundee United at the weekend. In the context of a competitive league, a team that is producing draws rather than wins might be looking for more cutting edge in the final third, and a winger with pace and a willingness to take on defenders could provide that. Whether Matondo would be a starter or an option from the bench is unknown, but depth in wide positions is always useful, particularly during a busy autumn schedule.
There is, of course, the added intrigue of the Rangers connection. Matondo is a former Ibrox player, and any transfer to a club that regularly faces Rangers adds a layer of interest. Supporters tend to follow the fortunes of former players closely, and there is often a debate about how a player will be received when he returns to a stadium where he once played. In Matondo’s case, there is no reason to expect hostility, since his departure was a normal transfer rather than a controversial exit, but the prospect of him lining up against his old team will be of interest to both sets of fans. It would be a point of curiosity for Rangers supporters who remember his contributions.
That raises the question of how Rangers’ current situation compares. The Ibrox side have been dealing with injuries to key attackers, including Yokota on the wing, and have added players such as Badredine Bouanani and Kim Min-su to their options. The fact that a former winger is now looking for a new club elsewhere in the league is a reminder of how quickly the squad can change and how competitive the environment at the top level has become. Players come and go, and those who leave often find that the grass is not necessarily greener elsewhere. Matondo’s brief stay in Norway is a case in point, and it underlines how hard it can be to rebuild a career after leaving a big club.
The wider theme of the story is the way in which footballers manage the unpredictable nature of their profession. A career can change direction in a matter of weeks, and contracts can be terminated, plans can unravel and clubs can lose interest. For a player in his mid-twenties, the key is to keep working, maintain fitness and wait for the right opportunity. Matondo appears to have done that, using the trial at Hibs as a chance to demonstrate that he still has what it takes. The fact that the club are now working on a deal suggests that his efforts have not gone unnoticed
It is also worth remembering the human side. A footballer who has been without a club for several weeks, who has had a contract terminated and who is training as a trialist is in a vulnerable position. The uncertainty can be stressful, and the pressure to impress is high. The reported success of the bounce matches, with two goals and two assists, will have been a welcome boost, and the prospect of a contract offers a sense of stability. For the player, the chance to return to a country where he has already spent years and where he knows the football culture is probably appealing, and the idea of a fresh start under a new head coach adds to the sense of renewal.
From Hibs’ perspective, the signing would fit a broader pattern. Clubs in the Premiership often look to experienced players who have been released or who are available on free transfers, because they offer value without the risk of a large fee. When the player has a recent track record at a bigger club, the appeal is greater, because it suggests a level of quality that might otherwise be out of reach. The risk lies in the player’s fitness and motivation, and the club will need to be sure that he is ready for the demands of a long season. Reedijk and his staff will have assessed those factors during the trial, and the decision to continue talks implies that they are satisfied.
The Welsh dimension adds another consideration. As a Wales international, Matondo has the added incentive of playing regularly to keep his place in the national squad. International managers tend to prefer players who are in good form and getting minutes at club level, and a period without a club can hurt a player’s chances of being selected. A move to Hibs, where he could expect more game time, would help him maintain his international prospects. It is the kind of motivation that can bring out the best in a footballer, and it gives the player a reason to commit fully to his new environment.
It is also fair to ask how the move might affect Hibs’ wider approach. The club has experienced a period of transition, with changes in the dugout and in the squad, and the arrival of a player with Matondo’s profile could help to define the team’s identity under Reedijk. A winger who attacks defenders and creates chances can encourage a more adventurous style, and that may be what the head coach wants. At the same time, a new signing can take time to integrate, and the pressure to deliver immediately can be counterproductive. The best outcome would be a gradual build-up, with minutes increasing as fitness and understanding develop.
None of this is certain, of course. Reports of clubs working on deals do not always end with a signature, and negotiations can fall apart over wages, contract length or other details. The language of working on a deal is deliberately cautious, and it signals that discussions are ongoing rather than complete. Until an official announcement is made, the move remains a possibility rather than a fact, and supporters should treat it accordingly. It is entirely possible that other clubs might show interest, or that the player might decide to explore alternatives before committing.
For now, the story is a reminder of how fluid the football landscape can be. A winger who spent four years at one of Scotland’s biggest clubs, who moved abroad and who found himself without a contract is now on the verge of returning to the league he knows best. It is a small piece of news in the grand scheme of things, but it carries the same ingredients that make football compelling: second chances, new beginnings and the possibility of redemption. If the deal goes through and Matondo performs well, it could be remembered as a shrewd piece of business by Hibs and a successful reboot for a player who needed one.
In the end, the headline’s phrase about working on a return captures the essence of the story. It describes a process rather than a result, a series of steps that might lead to a new contract and a new chapter. Matondo has done the hard part, which is to show that he is still capable of playing at a good level, and now it is up to the club and the player to reach an agreement. Whatever happens, the next few days will be important, and supporters of Hibs, Rangers and Wales will be watching to see how the story unfolds
