Former Rangers Player Set to Return to Scotland, This Time With Rivals

According to a report by The Scottish Sun, Welsh footballer and former Rangers player Rabbi Matondo is set to return to the Scottish Premiership. However, this time he will not take the pitch at Ibrox; instead, he will try to secure a place in the squad of another Scottish club, a domestic rival of the Teddy Bears, Hibernian FC.

The now 26-year-old winger started playing for Rangers back in the summer of 2022 after signing for the club from Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04. He was, however, unable to feature regularly for the Ibrox side, ultimately leaving the club in 2026. 

Currently, Matondo is a free agent after his last club, Norwegian outfit Sportsklubben Brann, released him in August 2026.

Reports are circulating that the next club Matondo might call home could be Rangers’ domestic league rivals, Hibernian FC. According to media outlet The Daily Record, Matondo is reportedly training with the club from Edinburgh at their training camp being held in La Manga, Spain.

As per the report by The Daily Record, the Welsh winger travelled with the Hibernian squad to Spain in a bid to impress new manager Marink Reedijk, as the latter looks to assess the players at his disposal after taking over the reins from former boss David Grey. The former, in turn, will look to secure a permanent deal with the club. 

A product of the Manchester City academy, Matondo moved to Germany when he signed for Schalke 04, and was initially assigned to the club’s reserve side. In his first stint in Germany, the winger played 30 official league games for Die Königsblauen before leaving for Rangers in 2022. 

In his 4 years at Rangers, Matondo played 45 official league fixtures for the Light Blues and was part of the squad that won the 2023-24 Scottish League Cup. After leaving the club in 2026, he also had a brief stint at SK Brann and is currently a free agent. 

The winger, in his career, also spent time on loan spells at Stoke City, Cercle Brugge, and Hannover 96.

In addition to his club career, Matondo has also played 15 official games for the Wales National Football Team. However, it is worth noting that the 26-year-old has fallen out of favour with national team manager Craig Bellamy and has not featured for The Dragons since 2025.

Whether Rabbi Matondo indeed manages to secure his place at Hibernian FC and sign a permanent deal with the club remains a matter of speculation; however, if the player wants to experience regular minutes of top-flight football, he must find a club for himself as soon as possible.