Connor Barron mentor makes Rangers prediction after transfer

Kevin Thomson put the name in his book of ones to watch and believed he had witnessed a player with the potential to perform for club and country. The kid that caught the eye against Rangers could now be playing for Rangers next term.

An Under-18s fixture against Aberdeen was the first time that Thomson had seen Connor Barron in person. He would later get a closer look at the prodigious midfielder as he kept tabs on three loan Rangers kids at Brechin City. The step up from academy football to League football hadn’t fazed Barron as Thomson’s initial impressions were cast in stone during a stint at Glebe Park.

A few months later, Thomson was appointed as Kelty Hearts manager and knew one of the first approaches he had to make as he assembled a squad that would go on to win the League Two title. Not for the first time, Barron was on his list as Thomson called in a favour to Stephen Glass and Scott Brown. As he says, the rest is history.

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Barron made the switch to New Central Park in the summer of 2021. By the turn of the year, he was in the Dons squad. He made eight starts in the second half of the season as his reputation was enhanced and a new contract was signed. Glass spoke of Barron’s attitude and application and his excitement at seeing the midfielder develop in the years to come. Glass would, of course, not last long enough at Pittodrie to see Barron fulfil his potential in red.

That contract that was penned in January 2022 has now expired. An offer is on the table from Rangers and Barron has suitors in England and Italy. At 21, he stands ready to make that next step in his career. Like he was back in the day, Thomson is intrigued to see what the future holds. As the Rangers Review revealed on Tuesday night, Barron is poised to make the switch from Pittodrie to Ibrox.

“They actually wanted him to go to Championship level, but I pestered Scotty and Glassy to say that I would be a better home for him to help develop,” Thomson told the Rangers Review. “That is what you need to do when you are down the leagues, you need to know your place.

“The rest is history. He was dynamite for us. He has got personality, he has got a bit of dig, he is humble, but he has got that competitive edge when he trains and when he plays. I was always interested to see how he would kick on and where he would go to. He was brilliant for us. He only ended up playing for us from the summer until January and then he went back and signed a new contract and found himself in the Aberdeen squad.

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“I would say that he has proven himself. He has performed in Europe. I think he was the catalyst for Aberdeen turning the tide in a poor season that ended up being OK in the end. Peter Leven did a great job, managed to galvanise the squad and Connor was a key part of that.”

The move for Barrron is not a headline grabbing one from Rangers. Philippe Clement has been credited with an interest in players from across the globe and the game as two South Americans – Brazilian full-back Jefte and Colombian winger Oscar Cortes – have been recruited alongside Clinton Nsiala, the former AC Milan defender.

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Barron is a different prospect. He ticks many boxes for Rangers, though, and players that are established in Scotland, that know the game here and that won’t need as much time to adjust, are no-brainer deals. In January 2007, Thomson fell into the same category as Walter Smith brought him in from Hibernian. Once again, the rest is history. 

The former Ibrox title-winner has no doubts that Barron will win over any doubters within the support should he, as expected, put pen-to-paper as part of the Clement rebuild this summer. He believes, too, that the midfielder will make his presence felt within a squad that is going through a period of significant change in personnel and personalities.

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Thomson references some of the bigger characters – such as Kallum Higginbotham, Jordon Foster and captain Michael Tidser – that he had in his Kelty squad. Barron had to find his feet in the division and find his voice in the changing room. The way he did so still resonates with his former mentor.

“We had boys that had played at a good level that weren’t there to make up the numbers,” Thomson said. “When your young boys come in, like Connor or Danny Finlayson, I tried to create an environment that was delivered by the boys. There was a cut-throat edge in training. I am not saying that was different from their parent clubs or training with the first team, but the boys had to handle that and Connor relished it. He could take a bump and get up and get on with it, which I always thought was a good trait.

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"He was really humble and Aberdeen were brilliant to deal with. They were as good as any club that we dealt with when we were at Kelty. The boys were humble, they trained well, they had application to everything we did and Connor was brilliant for us.”

Barron was not part of the group that Thomson guided to the fourth tier title come the end of his first term in the dugout. He had played a significant part in the success, however, as he operated alongside the likes of Tidser and Jamie Barjonas, the former Rangers midfielder.

Thomson details how Barron’s qualities complimented those two. Tidser was more accomplished on the ball and Barjonas covered more ground. Barron was the ideal foil for them both as Thomson worked to smooth out the rougher edges in his game.

He doubts whether Barron has the ability to operate as a No. 10 for Clement’s side but believes he has it within himself to influence matters in the final third. His only goal for Kelty came in a sore 5-1 loss at Annan Athletic in what proved to be his last outing for the club.

Goals are not really Barron’s game. Thomson sees him operating most effectively behind the ball and being equally adept in a two or three-man midfield, ideally but not exclusively on the right side.

“We tried to utilise his energy because he has got bundles of it and we tried to challenge him,” Thomson said. “I think he only played 13, 14 games for us and I spoke to him about going to another level and how he had the quality to arrive in the box and make an impact. If it turned over, he was athletic enough to run back and help the team. We tried to utilise him in different ways.

"He helped us without the ball, he was tenacious, but we also put the demand on him to chip in in the final third of the pitch. Could he create a goal or score a goal? Could he add that wee bit of finesse when it comes to the final part? That was just me trying to help him develop to become a better player. He was technically good, but he was still quite raw at times. I think he has got great scope to be a good player.”

Barron has found himself with a decision to make this summer. Moves to England or Italy would have been transformative on and off the park. At Rangers, he has the chance to challenge for medals and to play in European competitions.

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Clement has lost Ryan Jack and John Lundstram from his midfield options this summer and more departures are expected amid uncertainty over the futures of the likes of Tom Lawrence and Kieran Dowell. The opportunities will be there at Ibrox. Time will tell if Barron grasps them.

“Listen, he is not going to go to a bigger club than Rangers and a platform to go and showcase his talent,” Thomson said. “His next decision is important and what I would say is that he has to play. Wherever he decides his future lies or whatever offers he has on the table, he has to go to a club where he feels he is going to be in the starting XI. Of course, then he needs to train properly and live properly and showcase his talent.(Image: SNS)

“When I moved from Hibs to Rangers, I never thought I was going there as a squad player. I thought I was going in the team. I knew I had to work hard to earn it and get that jersey and then play well to keep it but I wasn’t moving, the thought never crossed my mind, that I was leaving as captain of the club and moving to Rangers to be a squad player. I was going in that team.

“The key for him, minus the monetary offers, is where he can go and develop. He needs to have one eye on pushing into the Scotland squad but you are only going to do that if you play. The next step for him is finding the right platform to make sure that he is a key part of a team and not there to make up the numbers.”