Enter a chap by the name of Connor Barron. Conceived on the 29th of August in the year of our lord 2002, making him a young and spry twenty three. Hails from the land of whisky and men in skirts, a native Scotsman through and through, but don't be fooled – he's not one for tossing cabers or playing bagpipes. No, his game is football, in the heart of the midfield for the club Death Eaters wouldn't dare mention – Rangers. Picture him, this lad of 5ft 8in (1.75m) and 10st 7lb (67kg) of pure Caledonian muscle, sporting the number 8 jersey, charging down the pitch. Could bring a tear to your eye, it could. Even played for the national team – the Bonnie Scotland, no less.
Cast your mind back to July 2017, young Barron, vibrant as a highland dawn, joins the Aberdeen squad. A trainee, still wet behind the ears. According to Transfermarkt, he experienced a taste of first team action with Aberdeen, wearing the colours for 13 league matches in the 2021-22 season. Back again for the next bout in 2022-23, seen for 17 more appearances and even scored a goal. Kept it up in 2023-24, that Barron, a trophy of 29 showings and another goal to his name. Bit of a local hero, really.
September 2020 sees our protagonist transferred to Brechin City, a short stint in the Highland League. Back from loan in June 2021 and straight back into the fray of Aberdeen. Same old story – appearances, a bit of scoring, lather, rinse and repeat.
Like a boomerang, off he goes again, this time on loan to Kelty Hearts in the Scottish third tier (League One if you're pedantic) in August 2021. Comes back home to Aberdeen in January, like a prodigal son.
Then, the dizzy heights of July 2024. Has a word with the Aberdeen suits, and off to the of-course-we-can't-name-them Rangers, for an undisclosed fee. Does alright for himself there – 28 caps in his first season, and he's already made 16 appearances this season. He's been in a couple of cups too – two substitute appearances in the League Cup, two more in the Champions League qualifiers and a grand total of six showings in the Europa League, four of which he started.
And that, dear reader, is Connor Barron – the prodigious Scotsman plying his trade in places we shan't speak of.
