Youth football expert relives moment Kinetic graduate Joe Aribo scored in Europa League final

We’re delighted to welcome the founder of Kinetic Academy Harry Hudson as our exclusive columnist. Each week the youth football expert will be giving his views on the biggest talking points on wonderkids across the UK…

Joe Aribo’s goal in the Europa League final is a vivid memory of recent seasons for Rangers fans and youth football expert Harry Hudson was delighted too.

He founded the Kinetic Academy which the Nigerian began his footballing career with before he went on to sign for Staines Town in English non-league football.

From there, he moved on to Charlton Athletic before a £350,000 move to Rangers in 2019 and he now looks set to seal a £10million transfer to Premier League Southampton, as reported by David Ornstein.

Aribo is the biggest name to have come out of the Kinetic academy so far and Hudson admitted that he had to pinch himself when he saw the 25-year-old scramble home the opening goal of the Europa League final in Seville’s Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

“It was mad because I was live on a podcast and I had my iPad next to me with the game going on,” Hudson said exclusively to The Football Wonderkids. “I can’t say I jumped up and down because I was on this podcast.

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“But it was a great moment and it’s a shame they couldn’t hang on and Joe had done so well being thrown out there as a false nine.

“It was a bit of a pinch yourself moment seeing him do that after he started with us.”

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side could not hold onto their 1-0 lead as Eintracht Frankfurt went on to win on penalties in what might end up being Aribo’s second to last game for the Bears after he contributed to the Scottish Cup win the following weekend.

In other Rangers news, it is becoming an Old firm battle in the race to sign this Welsh international attacker from a newly-promoted German club.