Rabbi Matondo, born on 9 September 2000, is a proud Welsh national albeit English-born, and a serial club hopper currently hanging up his boots in the cloakroom of Rangers. He's turned out for more clubs than most despite his tender age of 25, with his most recent exploit being a stint in the dark depths of the German 2. Bundesliga with Hannover 96. However, these shallow waters failed to drown our young hero, instead, providing a springboard for his return to the expansive football universe, thus enrichening his global voyage of pristine pitches.
In the spirit of starting from the very beginning, young Matondo was catapulted into the glamorous world of Premier League football with Manchester City in July 2016, adorning the sky-blue kit as a promising trainee. Regrettably, perhaps prematurely, he bid farewell to the Premier League lifestyle in January 2019 to join Schalke 04, with documents filed noting a transfer fee of around £8.1m (according to Transfermarkt). Matondo at Schalke was a sorry tale, interspersed with moments of modest brilliance on the occasional weekend outing.
Manchester City's loss - or rather, avid attempt at bank account fattening - saw Matondo switch the English drizzle for something a bit more continental. However, fortune remained an elusive mistress as Matondo's escapades in Germany proved to be half-baked. A fickle mix of 30 appearances and three insignificant little goals over three seasons had Schalke 04 packing him off to Stoke City on loan. Stoke, it turned out, wasn't the place for him either, managing to impress the back of the net just once in his ten cameos.
Leaving the English Midlands behind, Matondo found himself on loan again, this time to Cercle Brugge. The Belgian chapter of his career seemed slightly more uplifting, offering hearty applause for his nine goal contribution over 26 appearances. Maybe Matondo found comfort in the relatively small Belgium town, or perhaps it was the change of menu, who can say?
By July 2022, he was off again, leaving his Belgian comfort zone for the unpredictable Scottish weather, signing for Rangers with a price tag of £2.7m. Scotland, it appeared, was more his cup of tea, as he managed a (moderately) impressive 44 appearances and seven goals across three seasons.
However, in what could have been a riposte to hindsight, Matondo found himself back in Germany with Hannover 96 on loan in January 2025. This venture was to be short-lived, leaving many to question the wisdom of the move in the first place. Upon his return to Rangers, his appearances became as rare as a warm Scottish summer, with the current 2025-2026 season still awaiting the pleasure of his company on the field.
On the international front, or exhibition as it were, his performances in the World Cup Qualifiers had him jumping off the bench to make a nuisance of himself, scoring one goal in three appearances for Wales. He also participated in the Europa League, making three substitute appearances and scoring no times, which I’m sure left an indelible mark on the competition.
