Connor Barron deserves Rangers hype as his mentor knows star pupil only needs one thing

Connor Barron may have missed out on a full Scotland call-up this time but Scot Gemmill has backed the new Rangers midfielder to continue his impressive progress.

And the Under-21s boss insisted Barron’s eye-catching start at Ibrox has come as no surprise. The former Aberdeen kid was tipped to be included in Steve Clarke’s squad this week but instead will be a key player for the 21s in their massive Euro 2025 qualifiers against Spain and Malta next week.

Gemmill’s side are on track to qualify as one of the three best runners-up for what would be their first Euro Finals in 29 years, with Barron a vital part of the squad having captained the team. And the manager, who has included Bobby Wales, Miller Thomson and Daniel Kelly as first-time call-ups in his squad, backed Barron to maintain his stunning start at his new club.

Gemmill said: “He’s rightly getting a lot of compliments right now on his performances. He’s showing he can influence games.

“We’ve seen him do that for the 21s and we’ve seen him do that for his previous club, Aberdeen. I don’t think we’re too surprised by it because we know how good he is and what potential he has.

“We speak about players who have quite obviously got that mentality and that dedication. Connor is a very good example of that but he has to keep going. I’m sure his new manager and staff will be demanding that from him too.

“He’s gone to a new club with big expectations and started really well but he has to keep pushing. This is only the beginning.

“The true test is time. Connor’s done everything right up until now. He’s doing his talking on the pitch but he has to continue to develop. He has to continue to show he won’t let it affect his mentality, won’t let it affect the hard work he’s