Lee Bowyer didn't hold back when Joe Aribo decided to leave his then English League One side Charlton for a move to Rangers - but has finally climbed down from his Scottish Premiership blast.
Aribo decided to make the move to Ibrox back in 2019 rather than stick it out in the English lower leagues at The Valley or opt for a potential English Championship suitor. Bowyer insisted a move to Rangers would be the equivalent of retirement - claiming that only players coming to the end of their careers moved north of the border. However, Aribo would go on to flourish during his time at Ibrox.
The playmaker lifted the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup, as well as scoring in a Europa League final and becoming a key player for Nigeria before securing his big move to Southampton. Following the switch the English Premier League Bowyer has finally admitted he got it wrong over the move north of the border.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he was put on the spot over his comments by Jim White: "Obviously from a selfish point I wanted him to stay with me and Charlton. He was going in a direction as a player, improving all the time and scoring goals.
"He was just a sub at Charlton when I first went in there and then all of a sudden he's talking about going up to Rangers. I felt a bit hurt by it because I thought 'hold on, I've looked after you here and I've pushed you and got you to have that option. Just give me a year in the Championship'.
"Which would've been also good for his career. It's rewarding for me because I helped him get on that journey."
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