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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
David Irvine

Nnamdi Ofoborh Rangers update as Michael Beale responds to 'mistreatment' post

Michael Beale insists Rangers are doing everything they can to help Nnamdi Ofoborh - as he revealed the midfielder is visiting a third specialist.

Ofoborh, 23, has been unable to train or play since his move to Rangers in 2021 due to a serious heart issue.

The former Bournemouth player recently insisted "mistreatment" would come out over his fitness troubles in an Instagram post - but Beale has refuted claims it could be targeted at the club.

Ofoborh is completing light training at Auchenhowie and at home, but has been limited to just that due to advice from specialists given to the club.

Beale revealed he hasn't spoken to Ofoborh since the weekend but was certain that the club have done and are continuing to do everything they can to support the player.

Offering an update on Ofoborh's current predicament, Beale said: "Listen, it's a really personal matter that one.

"Obviously, Nnamdi is a boy that we signed originally from Bournemouth and I was here in and around the scouting of signing Nnamdi.

"He was a player that we were quite excited about. He then went to Wycombe and had the problem after doing the medical with Rangers.

"The problem appeared after that and then since he's come to Rangers it has been difficult, he has never been able to train with the group, never been able to play with the group.

"He has been away to see the best cardiologist we could find, he's had two opinions, we are now supporting him to get a third opinion as well.

"It's fair to say that those opinions have not always been perfect, so he's managed to get back into light training but our advice for the club from the specialists is just light training at this moment in time - that me, you, anyone could do and nothing more than that.

"That's where we are at. Nnamdi is a boy that I am close to and I really feel for his situation. He's a young man that has had his whole life turned upside down in the last two years and he's finding it really difficult with the feedback that he has been getting.

"But he's away to see a third specialist now and the club is supporting him on that. The club has been fantastic in their support for him the whole way through the two years. It's just a really difficult situation.

"I'm certainly not an expert on it, I'm just trying to support the young boy through what you can imagine is a really, really difficult period for him."

He continued: "I haven't spoken to him about that since the weekend.

"When Nnamdi is here and he is able to work he is working his periods, when he is away and doing his gym programme as well you can imagine that moving up from the south to Glasgow and then not having a daily programme of playing football, he has not been able to breathe as a football player.

"We don't ask him to come in here every day if he is not working. He is away now seeing a specialist.

"He's been away and seen the best people possible. He's seen the specialist that dealt with Daily Blind and Christian Eriksen as well. 

"Everything I feel we could have done as a football club, we have done. It's just really frustrating for Nnamdi that he can't do as much as he would like but that's us acting on the advice that we are given. Sometimes that is difficult."

Pushed on whether he is certain the "mistreatment" comment wasn't directed at the club and rather at medical opinions, Beale stated: "I don't see how he can be commenting on the club."

Ofoborh had posted on his personal social media account: "Two years, two operations, hundreds of appointments."

A second message read: "Silent on the situation so I look like the bad guy, all the mistreatment of the last two years will come out."

Ofoborh still has two years remaining on his Ibrox deal, and speculation online that he had been released by the club was wide of the mark.

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