Super Eagles star plays for Southampton Under-23 team

The highly touted Nigerian midfielder from Rangers arrived at Southampton, but he has not lived up to the hype since then

Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo played for Southampton's Under-23 side in their Premier League 2 game against Leeds United on Friday.

Aribo was one of the best players in Scotland last season. The Super Eagles midfielder made his mark playing for Rangers and helping them claim the league three seasons ago. His consistent brilliance ensured that he was linked to many Premier League clubs like West Ham, Aston Villa, and Southampton.

Eventually, he joined Southampton for just over €7 million. Unfortunately, things have not worked out since he moved to the South Coast.

Aribo started well under Ralph Hassenhutttl. In fact, he scored a Maradona-like goal during pre-season. He also got games under his belt, albeit some were off the bench.

However, the 26-year-old's minutes have reduced drastically since early January. Aribo has played just 116 minutes in Southampton's last nine games in all competitions.

To sum up his situation, on Friday, the Nigerian midfielder played for Southampton's Under-23 side against Leeds United, but they lost the game 2-1. Because of this, Aribo is unlikely to feature in Southampton's Premier League fixture against Leeds United on Saturday.

The Saints are desperately fighting to stay alive in the Premier League, and they have sacked two managers this season.

Ruben Selles was appointed as head coach on Friday. Aribo would look to work his way back into the first team and help his club stay afloat.