THE arrival of Joe Aribo at Ibrox last summer was one that was heralded as something of a coup for Rangers. With the central midfielder’s contract at Charlton coming to an end, Steven Gerrard made his move to snap up the playmaker with a nominal compensation fee the only significant outlay.

His then manager, Lee Bowyer, was furious. The move north of the border, he argued, would harm the talented youngster’s progression.

“I worked so hard to get him to this situation he is in now,” said the former Newcastle and Leeds midfielder. “It is about progression for him. So it’s a shame if he gets pushed to somewhere where it is not going to benefit him in his football career. If he goes to Rangers that is not the right place for him to go for his football career.

“It doesn’t make sense on the football side. When people from England go and play for Celtic and Rangers it is at the end of their careers. For me he should stay in England and keep progressing.”

Almost one year later, Aribo has made his old boss look very foolish indeed. In that time, the 23-year-old has been capped by Nigeria, scored against Brazil, played in a domestic cup final and shone in the knockout stages of the Europa League, not to mention a series of highly encouraging displays in the Premiership.

It has been a remarkable rise for the player, and he has long since vindicated his decision to move to Govan. He continues to go from strength to strength, and is arguably the most exciting player on the books at Ibrox.

No other player at Rangers possesses the close control that Aribo does. At close quarters, he is a truly remarkable footballer – dancing past opposition players, cushioning the ball with the deftest of touches and gliding past opposition players seemingly at will. These skills were honed in the cage football setting of North London, and it shows. His agility and the way he uses his body to shield the ball are quite unique in Scotland and this, combined with his technical ability, makes him a truly fearsome opponent. He is by no means the finished product, but his potential is clear for all to see.

Aribo’s goal against Braga in the last 32 of the Europa League was a demonstrative example of what the midfielder is capable of. He lunged, wriggled and held off a succession of the Portuguese players as he slalomed his way towards goal from the left wing. With every touch it seemed certain that he would be robbed of possession, yet his drive and determination was startling. By the end of the run, he had beaten half the Braga team before calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net.

For someone playing his first full season in a new league, Aribo’s output has been remarkable. Of Rangers’ 53 games this campaign, Aribo has started 39 and only failed to make an appearance in five fixtures. He has been deployed in central midfield, as a right winger and a left-back at various stages this season and has proven to be a highly versatile player.

His tally of nine goals is a fairly impressive haul, but it is Aribo’s creative output that has truly caught the eye since he joined Rangers. He has registered six league assists this season – no Rangers player has more – and is also the league leader in secondary assists (a pass that leads directly to an assist) with six to his name. Only James Forrest and Stevie Lawless have had greater success with deep completions – successful passes into the opposition box – and Aribo boasts the third-highest accuracy rate for passes into the final third of any Premiership player, finding his man around 86 percent of the time.

Aribo’s skill and technical ability is obvious. That he will improve and become a key player in the heart of Gerrard’s side seems almost inevitable. But the one area where the Nigeria internationalist is keen to see rapid improvement lies in his physicality. He possesses something of an unusual frame; tall, skinny, gangly. With a bit more muscle added into the equation, Aribo hopes to become a complete midfielder and develop a “nasty” streak: an outcome that would see his potential skyrocket.

“It is something that I am learning myself that I have to improve on,” he acknowledged after a 2-0 win over Livingston in November. “Some may say that I am a bit nice but I want to be the nastiest player that I can be as well as being good on the ball and being technical.”

It will be fascinating to observe the midfielder’s development next season as he buckles down for a second season under Gerrard and continues to make strides forward. Aribo has a habit of lunging after balls that are seemingly outwith his reach, and more often than not he wins them. It should come as no surprise if his overall development takes a similar approach and he makes a giant leap or two in the near future.