Leon Balogun has slotted back into life on and off the park at Ibrox following his emotional return to Rangers.
But he is still waiting for the final piece of the jigsaw to be put in place as friend and defensive partner Connor Goldson works towards his own Light Blues comeback.
The relationship between Balogun and Goldson was integral to Rangers during their march towards title 55 and the duo will once again have significant roles to play as Michael Beale sets his sights on the silverware in the coming months.
Goldson will be one of the first names on the teamsheet sooner rather than later as he continues his recovery from the injury setback that brought a premature end to last term and left the Englishman facing a race against time to be fit for the big kick-off this time around.
The loss of Leon King further compounded Beale’s problems at the back and a move for Balogun ticked all the right boxes as he signed on at Ibrox for a second time.
He has quickly made himself at home around Auchenhowie and has match minutes against Newcastle and Hamburg under his belt ahead of the visit of Olympiakos this evening.
Now he is counting down to having his centre-back compatriot alongside him once again as he seeks to roll back the years and deliver title glory for a second time in Glasgow.
“I can’t wait for him to be back on the field," Balogun said. “It will be us shouting at each other all over again.
“Seriously, sometimes you need that bit of tension to keep each other on our toes. We had that amongst the whole back four and it’s still there now.
“That’s where the competitiveness comes in and the demands you have for yourself and for the club. You have to win.
“We understand that and I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of the new guys know that too.
“That’s one thing that’s driven home everyday. If you look around the training ground, the whole place is set up for you to understand.
“You are here to win and nothing else. That’s what helped me when I was here for the first time. Everything tells you this is the way.
“It doesn’t always happen in football, but it was good for us because we got along off the park as well. That always helps. It always helps that if outside of football you are looking in the same direction.
“If you build a relationship off the park it’s easier when you are playing and it’s something I am looking forward to doing again.
“Not just with Connor, but with the rest. There are more than just two centre halves, whoever they maybe, and we need that relationship throughout the team.”
The opportunity to rejoin Rangers was one that Balogun couldn’t turn down. It was, though, one which emerged in unfortunate circumstances for another of his defensive colleagues.
The news that King has been ruled out of action for a significant length of time with an ankle injury was a crushing blow to the youngster and another setback for Beale.
King endured some difficult moments last term as part of a side that struggled domestically and toiled on the continent. Yet he has been backed to emerge stronger from this latest adversity at Ibrox.
“I spoke to him last week," Balogun said. “Literally he was in a boot, then he was on crutches, then he was limping and a few days later I saw him.
“I said, ‘what are you drinking?’ Four days ago he was on crutches and then he was back jumping.
“I don’t think I need to give him words of encouragement. He’s one of the younger guys and he plays in the same position as me so I will try to be there to help.
“Most successful people in the world will tell you they learned their greatest lessons from failure or hardships. It’s no different with him.
“Since I first met him he’s been the same. Humble, head down, works hard.
"So I am pretty sure he will have taken the right lessons from what happened last year. At the same time, he needs to enjoy being on that kind of stage already.
At his age, it’s about getting game time and gaining experience. If he gets it at the highest level then he has nothing to complain about.”
As King comes to terms with the injury that has wrecked his campaign and stalled his fledgling career, the man that has replaced him in Beale’s squad is focused on the future.
His departure from Ibrox last summer was a difficult time for Balogun. Now that he is back in blue, he is determined to make the most of his second shot at glory.
“There was great disappointment when I left," Balogun said. “Disco said to me at one point, ‘Leon, you have found your home.’ That really hit home for me because he was right.
“It was tough to leave, I stayed here for three months afterwards just trying to keep myself fit.
“It wasn’t easy, you always have to move on and I was able to. Now I am back and it’s an even greater feeling.
“It still feels a bit unreal. I have received a lot of messages saying I should never have been let go, but coming back I am so happy.
“I got a good reception around Greegsy’s testimonial, which was nice because it was one legend leaving the stage. To get my own reception was very flattering.
“I couldn’t tell you [how long I have left] right now because I still feel very good.
“I think I’ve got a good few years left yet. I need to show that and I am quite positive I can keep going for sometime.”
Balogun’s longer term ambitions will become evident in the fullness of time. His most pressing priority is the Premiership title race.
The visit of Olympiakos will be followed by a trip to Hoffenheim as Beale finalises his preparations for the new campaign and the opening weekend fixture away at Kilmarnock.
Beale has been backed in the transfer market and simply must deliver in terms of trophies. A man that knows him better than most is as cognisant of that fact as much as anyone.
“I haven’t even thought about that," Balogun said. "I know there is always a pressure of having to win. It’s about starting well, getting a feel for the team as much as there are still familiar faces.
“We’re still in pre-season, we’re still building towards something. For now the focus is on ensuring that we can be as good as we can be.
“He (Beale) brought me to QPR. At the start it was really successful, but when he left we as a team went through a difficult spell.
“Like I said before, I never expected to be back at Rangers, it came out of the blue when my agent sent me a text one evening.
“But when the manager left QPR, I didn’t think for a second that was my entrance back into Rangers.
“I came here last season as a spectator for the Old Firm, but there had been no talks whatsoever. When I heard the news, I didn’t take much convincing.”
