Hibernian have signed Rabbi Matondo until the end of the season, with an option to extend by a further year. The Wales winger, 26, had been training with the club on trial and becomes the first signing of Marink Reedijk's reign at Easter Road.
There is an obvious wrinkle in it. He spent close to four years at Rangers. One of his eight goals for them came against Hibs.
Where he has been
His last appearance for Rangers came in February. Since then he has had a five-month spell in Norway with Brann, which ended in August, and he has been without a club ever since. Before Ibrox there was Schalke, and spells at Stoke City, Cercle Brugge and Hannover, the last of those taken on loan while he was still a Rangers player. It is a lot of moving around for a player who is not yet 27, and the trial at Easter Road reads as a club wanting to see the attitude for itself before committing anything.
Around two thirds of his 70 Rangers appearances came in the Scottish Premiership, and all but one of his goals for the club arrived in the top flight. He knows the league.
What Reedijk wants from him
The Hibs manager, who replaced David Gray last month, was watching closely at the club's training camp in La Manga during the international break. "He made an immediate impression during our time in La Manga and has shown a great attitude, strong application and a real willingness to learn and adapt," Reedijk said.
What followed was less about development and more about function. Pace. Directness. A threat in wide areas. Reedijk also made a point of mentioning the personality Matondo brings to the dressing room, which is the sort of thing managers tend to say about a trialist they have spent a fortnight watching at close quarters and have decided they like.
Wales, and what is left of that thread
Matondo has 15 Wales caps, the most recent of them last year. That was also when he scored his only international goal so far, in a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan.
He broke through young enough that 26 still feels early for a career that has drifted. A deal until May, with the club holding the option on another year, is the kind that rewards a quick start and quietly expires if there isn't one.
Transfer facts: Rabbi Matondo, 26, winger, joins Hibernian until the end of the season with the option of a further year. Previous clubs: Schalke, Stoke City, Cercle Brugge, Hannover, Rangers and Brann. He made 70 appearances for Rangers, scoring eight goals, and has 15 caps and one goal for Wales. He is the first signing made by Hibs manager Marink Reedijk, who replaced David Gray last month.
0 Comments