TheCable

Sone in his London hotel

For a man who has played at the Allianz Arena, Celtic Park and Ibrox during Old Firm clashes involving Rangers and Celtic, Nigeria and Hull City forward Sone Aluko says that a trial match he had before he signed for Glasgow Rangers was the biggest game of his career.

“Due to wrangling between Aberdeen and Rangers over my transfer fee I was out of the game for a long time. I was fit to play, but due to circumstances that were totally out of my control I was consigned to training in parks in Birmingham to keep fit,” he told TheCable.

“I was left thinking that I might never play at the highest level again. When the two teams finally agreed I was involved in a trial match in front of just a few people and I knew I had to perform or else…”

The Hull City player was speaking in the team’s hotel in London just before the Premier League match against Fulham.

Aluko set up his team’s two goals in the 2-2 draw.

Growing up in the Birmingham area, Aluko knew very early on that he would be a footballer.

“I could never tire of playing the game joining the Birmingham City academy at the age of 8 or thereabouts. When I was 13 I had started to play for the academy side and progressed into the youth teams. I got called up into the England youth sides so I figured that I am good enough,” he said.

Teenage years

It is during the teenage years that young  footballers face their biggest tests and Aluko was not any different.

“I have been fortunate to have the family background that kept my focused trained onto my career and the right friends around me to keep me on the right track. I read a stat recently that said something about an incredibly high number of footballers are lost to game between the ages of 19-21. I was shocked. But I understand it,” he said.

It must be that determination that led Aluko to go up north as a teenager to Aberdeen in the north-east of Scotland.

“I wanted to play football regularly. I might not have gotten the chances to do so at Birmingham if I had remained however I had no idea Aberdeen was so far up north,” he said within laughter at the memories.

“I got there, looked at the club and took me only a few hours to agree terms and I signed.

“I had a good time there and one of my great memories was scoring against Bayern Munich in a UEFA Cup game at Pittodrie. Fantastic night it was and playing against that side that included Philipp Lahm and a few other big name players convinced me some more that I belonged at this level.”

Big games

After Aberdeen, he eventually made his transfer to Glasgow giants Rangers, another club where the fans took to him.

“Perhaps it might be because I score in big games that the fans take to me. Scoring in Old Firm matches against Celtic also helped, I’m sure,” he said.

Aluko is really sad at the way his time at Rangers eventually ended with the team going into administration and having to offload players just to stay afloat.

“It is sad for the club to have had to go through that to be honest with you and I think sadder for Scottish football as a whole,” he bemoaned.

That turn of events led him to Hull City and eventually the Premier League.

Injuries aside, Aluko said it has been a wonderful experience.

Pre-season

“The day after we won promotion to the Premier League I could not wait for pre-season – and I normally hate pre-season training! I have had a great time and am very happy at Hull and looking forward to the FA Cup final one of the biggest dates in the football calendar,” he said.

Aluko was part of Nigeria’s side at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.

“I love representing Nigeria. I feel very Nigerian and I’m proud to have played for Nigeria at that tournament and then for the Super Eagles,” he said.

He was very disappointed at how Nigeria’s challenge petered out in the tournament with the defeat to Germany.

“We made the kind of errors that footballers make at the age of 12. I understood though because a lot of the players in the squad were not playing first team football for their teams. It was a great experience one I cherish alongside the others I have had in my career currently,” he said.