Connor Barron admits Aberdeen FC reality check amid rollercoaster campaign as he lays out path to 'move up again'

Connor Barron knows football can be the ultimate rollercoaster. In the space of just four days he went from the highs of a lauded Aberdeen away display in Europe to the lows of a pummelling at Parkhead.

Now he's eager to lift himself back up with Scotland Under 21s in Belgium tonight a year on from when he was Man of the Match against them. The Dons midfielder will line up for Scot Gemmill's side at The Nest ground in Roeselare in the first of a Euro 2025 away double-header after a rollercoaster week.

Aberdeen took plenty of plaudits from their 2-2 draw against PAOK in Thessaloniki in the Europa Conference League last Thursday. But they were spectacularly brought down to earth with a 6-0 hammering from Scottish Premiership champions, Celtic, in Glasgow, with Barron coming on as a late sub. The 21-year-old has already played against Belgium Under 21s last season and was the best player on the park in Sint-Truiden as Scotland earned a decent goalless draw.

And he's hoping for more of the same tonight, after Scotland collected six points out of six in their home double-header last month against Hungary and Malta, and insisted Barry Robson's men will bounce back. Barron said: "It's just football, isn't it? It was tough to take obviously because we were on a bit of a bounce after the PAOK game and you think you are going to go again, but then you get brought down.

"But that's the highs and lows of football and it's about how you pick yourself up again. We have got a big few weeks coming up at Aberdeen and we have the League Cup Final too.

"We were away in Greece and came back and then we were straight on the bus to Celtic. We lost out obviously there and now we will go back and focus on the Rangers game.

"The European stage