Swindon Town gamble has helped former Rangers man continue career after gutting revelation | OneFootball

Swindon Town offered Nnamdi Ofoborh a way back into professional football after missing 3 years with a heart issue.

Nigerian midfielder Nnamdi Ofoborh was on an exciting career path, earning himself a move to Scottish giants Rangers in 2021. Sadly, he'd never make an appearance for them through no fault of his own.

The world was truly at Ofoborh's feet in January 2021, after coming off the back of a productive loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers. This saw Rangers take interest in the box-crashing midfielder, snapping him up on a pre-contract agreement for the summer. He also returned to the Chairboys on loan for the second half of the 2020-21 season.

However, a heartbreaking revelation would prevent the exciting prospect from ever setting foot on the Ibrox pitch. It was discovered shortly after the Nigerian signed for the club that he had an underlying heart issue, where his heart would stop pumping blood around his body. This ultimately sidelined Ofoborh, as he risked cardiac arrest from the physical strain of playing football.

After undergoing two heart operations, against all odds, the ex-Bournemouth man made a sensational return to football with Swindon Town in 2024. Since then, he's been a firm fixture for the League Two side, showing incredible resilience to make a recovery from a seriously scary health issue.

Having worked his way through the ranks at AFC Bournemouth, Ofoborh was given a first taste of senior football when Wycombe swooped in to sign him on a season-long loan. The youngster became a fan favourite, as the Chairboys won promotion to the Championship.

He agreed a deal with Rangers in February 2021, which began the following summer. His second loan spell in Buckinghamshire also ensured the new Rangers midfielder got plenty of game time before his move to Ibrox.

Ofoborh would never pull on the blue of the Scottish giants, due to a heart issue that was discovered shortly after he joined the club. The 25-year-old opened up about the discovery of this issue, as he told The Athletic: “I couldn’t hear much, apart from my heart racing: boom, boom, boom.

“I felt like I was going to faint. I crouched over and after about 30 seconds it went away. I was like, ‘What was that?’, but then started training like nothing happened.

“My coaches were shouting at me thinking I wasn’t tracking my runner, but in my head, I was thinking, ‘I could die right now’.”

After consulting medical professionals, Ofoborh was told his chances of playing again were 35 to 40 percent. After his first three seasons at Ibrox were written off due to the issue, as he underwent two heart operations. The former Wycombe man terminated his contract with his club, to look for opportunities elsewhere. Fortunately, he got one not long later.

Swindon Town gamble has reignited Ofoborh's career

In March 2024, the forgotten man's name surfaced once again, but for a great reason this time. Swindon had decided to take a gamble and offer the ex-Rangers man a way back into first-team football. After going on a long road to overcome his medical condition, the Nigerian youth international was cleared to play again.

He made seven appearances for the Robins, which was the first time he'd played professional football in three years. Ultimately, he did enough to secure an extension to his short-term deal, which would run until the end of the 2024-25 season. This was wonderful news for all concerned, as Ofoborh had proven he was capable of continuing his career.

So far, the midfielder has continued to defy the odds this season, featuring in the majority of Town's league outings so far. Whilst 90 minutes is a rarity for Ofoborh, the 25-year-old has plenty of minutes in the tank from the bench, as Ian Holloway continues to sensibly manage his minutes.

It's truly excellent to see the once-rising star back in professional football, after being so cruelly robbed of the opportunity of his lifetime at Ibrox. Despite missing years of his career, Ofoborh has shown great determination to not give up on his dream, which so many others in his position might have done. His story is a true testament to his excellent strength as a person.

Swindon must receive huge praise in this feel-good story as well. Handing Ofoborh a short-term deal provided him with the opportunity to prove his fitness and get his career back on track. Now the player is back in the swing of playing regularly, he can still have a strong career ahead, at just 25.