Connor Barron has extra reason to prove his brilliance in Rangers showdown vs Hibernian
Connor Barron has emerged as one of the best signings Rangers have made in recent years.
Barron joined Rangers from Aberdeen in 2024 and featured 46 times last season, with his influence at the heart of midfield being made clear under Danny Rohl.
Rangers face Hibernian on Monday as they aim to close the twelve-point gap on Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, while the visitors could move above them with an unlikely win.
The German head coach is yet to suffer defeat in the Scottish Premiership, with Barron’s inclusion in the team proving to be a catalyst in domestic form.
Rangers have faced criticism for not signing Hibs star Josh Mulligan, and the Scotland international has a huge task on his hands to keep him quiet at Ibrox.
Connor Barron will face up against Josh Mulligan
Mulligan has made 21 appearances in all competitions for Hibs already this season, and there are several reasons why he is being linked with a move to Leeds and Nottingham Forest.
The 23-year-old initially emerged through the Dundee academy before moving to the Edinburgh outfit in the summer on a free transfer, with Rangers also said to be interested before that.
On 15 December, Mulligan will likely play in central midfield, facing up against Barron directly.
| Stat | Mulligan |
| Appearances | 16 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Pass accuracy | 81.5% |
| Chances created | 14 |
| Touches in opposition box | 40 |
On the other hand, Barron is much more defensive, with his ability on the ball helping Rangers to recycle possession and speed up the tempo of their play.
Mohamed Diomande’s woeful performances have left him on the bench and out of AFCON contention, and Barron has emerged as one of the standout players of Rangers’ disappointing season.
Hibs aren’t a team in blistering form, and they’ve relied on Mulligan’s brilliance at times to drag them through matches.
It speaks volumes of the recruitment in Govan that a player of his quality was available on a free, and they refused to approach him, with Kevin Thelwell even sacked.
In what will be the most important battle of the match, the 23-year-old will be relishing the prospect of coming up against Mulligan, especially with Scotland spots up for grabs.
Connor Barron is not far from becoming a regular starter for Scotland
Barron was on the bench as Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to secure World Cup qualification for the first time since 1998, although he still has work to do if he wants to get on the pitch.
He earned his first Scotland call-up in September 2024 and has only earned one cap in that time.
With the likes of Scott McTominay, John McGinn, and Billy Gilmour all available, he’ll need to make huge strides in his development if he wants to be in with a chance of going to North America.
Performances of control and maturity against players who are high on confidence are needed in Barron’s case, and Mulligan will undoubtedly pose a threat at Ibrox.
If he can get past this test, then his bright future has taken another step in the right direction.
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