The unfinished business is not to do with Rangers - and HYROX sessions have me ready for Hibs

New Hibs signing Rabbi Matondo has a point to prove, intent on altering the false perception he feels developed around him during his time at Rangers.

Winger Matondo joined Gers from Schalke in 2022 and made 70 appearances – but just 26 as a starter – before leaving in March of this year to sign for Brann.

But after an unfulfilling move to Norway that brought just four substitute appearances, Matondo is back in Scotland and eager to give a true reflection of his ability having felt he did not properly showcase himself at Ibrox, where the highlight was a stunning strike in a 3-3 draw with Celtic in April 2024.

Rabbi Matondo hopes to shine with Hibs. | SNS Group

“I had three-and-a-half, four years at Rangers and I enjoyed it but there’s probably some unfinished business at my end,” Matondo said. “I feel like people talk as if I didn’t do anything at Rangers, and that’s the narrative. But, of course, there were a lot of ups and downs with injuries.

“And when you come back from injury, you’re having to get that consistency, that rhythm and stuff. I feel like there were times when I was playing and I was playing well. But when you get hit with injury and then you come back and try and get back in the team, it’s not quite the same.

“The unfinished business is not to do with Rangers. It’s just to do with, in terms of myself, trying to be as fit as I can, stay injury-free and play football. Maybe the narrative is that I’m this player or that player, ‘he doesn’t have this’ or ‘he doesn’t have that’. I want to prove that I do have what it takes to succeed in Scotland, and that’s my aim this season.”

Matondo went into the summer in the unfamiliar position of being a free agent. He trained with Sheffield United and also with his brothers, taking on HYROX sessions in Cardiff. Despite a lack of minutes, he feels fit and ready to go.

“I don't think I've ever had in my life a situation where I don't have a schedule in terms of giving to me a programme. Luckily enough I've worked with a lot of people, even at my time in football, they can give me advice and they can give me things to follow. But then at the same time I add my own little bits to that.

“I was doing a lot of stuff I haven't really done before, going to Pilates classes, going to like HYROX classes and stuff like that in Cardiff, and I enjoyed it. It was something different, but it was a different type of fitness, but I was just keeping myself as ready as possible.

“It was just somewhere where my friends and my brothers go back home. I started going and I enjoyed it, to be fair. It kept me in a good place, kept me grafted in a way, which obviously I need every day in this job, and had to be ready for whatever comes about.

“I've been grateful for everyone that's in and around me on a regular basis, who I speak to on a regular basis, that have helped me. So, it's been refreshing to see, actually, because when things are going well in life, everyone's always there - even the people that haven't been there, they tend to be there as well.

“So, when things are maybe not going as positive as you'd like, you want to see who's there in your corner, and there's a lot of people that I regarded close to me when there was good times. Even with the not-so-good times, they were there as well, so I'm grateful.”