Having spent the first half of the season on loan at Kelty Hearts, Connor Barron returned to Aberdeen in January with fire in his belly and a determination to prove that he belonged in the first team at Pittodrie.
The 19-year-old has subsequently racked up several man of the match awards and could make his debut for Scotland Under-21 when they take on Turkey on Friday.
Barron plays with a tenacity that more than makes up for his diminutive stature. He is brave on the ball and has a good range of passing. The midfielder is yet to score his first goal for Aberdeen but has shown a willingness to let rip at the target when the opportunity presents itself from range.
The under-21s host Turkey and then travel to Kazakhstan next week in back-to-back European Championship qualifiers. Barron has earned his place in the squad and his manager at club level, Jim Goodwin, believes he has what it takes to take his game to the international stage.
“He’s been brilliant,” Goodwin said. “I can’t take too much credit for the boy at first-team level here as he was in the team prior to me coming in, but he deserves to be in the team.
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“He had a dip in form against Hearts [a 2-0 defeat] where the whole team was poor on the night but you saw him back to his best against Rangers [a 1-0 defeat in Aberdeen’s subsequent fixture]. For a young boy in the middle of the park at Ibrox in a tense atmosphere, he handled the occasion very well.
“He’s brave on the ball and, for a small lad, he wants to get stuck in as well. He has great attributes but is nowhere near where we think he can get to in terms of his development. It’s great for him to get that recognition in the under-21s with Calvin Ramsay.
“Connor is a very good player with great potential. He has so much to learn and improve on which he knows and he is not getting above his station at all.
“He has been a breath of fresh air since I came in. You talk about bravery and courage, the wee man has it in abundance.
“He demands the ball from the centre halves, in tight areas he wants to play out of trouble and that takes courage. That’s the type of characters we need at this club if we are going to be successful.”
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Lewis Ferguson has two caps for his country and has been a regular presence in Steve Clarke’s recent squads. Goodwin backed the 22-year-old to nail down a spot in the Scotland team.
“I’m delighted for Lewis,” Goodwin said. “Steve Clarke knows him well enough so Lewis will be looking forward to that. Everyone wants to be part of the senior national team especially with the big games they have coming up so this is an opportunity for Lewis to stake a claim.”
