Rangers: Connor Barron will be fuming with Scotland announcement, Steve Clarke must be joking
Rangers midfielder Connor Barron will have been hopeful of a last-minute spot in the Scotland World Cup squad.
The 23-year-old is coming off the back of a positive end to the campaign at Ibrox despite the failure to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title.
The number eight was arguably Danny Rohl’s best player in the final stages of the season as he starred in the last three games.
Many expected that to resonate with Steve Clarke before he named his side to travel to North America ahead of the summer.
Barron didn’t make the Scotland World Cup squad originally and was hopeful of a reprieve that has now gone awry.
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Connor Barron snubbed from Scotland World Cup squad
The Tartan Army’s warm-up for the showpiece tournament is now underway after facing Curacao at Hampden Park on Saturday.
A 4-1 win for the home side was exactly what the doctor ordered as Gers duo Findlay Curtis and Lawrence Shankland found the back of the net.
| Stat | Scotland | Curacao |
| Possession (%) | 66 | 34 |
| Shots | 18 | 9 |
| Big chances | 3 | 1 |
| Accurate passes | 535 | 236 |
| Corners | 8 | 2 |
The positivity of the result was somewhat dashed when Billy Gilmour was forced off with a knee injury, which has now ended his World Cup before it began.
That raised questions about who could replace the Napoli man in the squad, with Barron, Lennon Miller and Andy Irving originally looking like the options to choose from.
Clarke has now made his decision and has gone totally rogue by picking Manchester United under-21 midfielder Tyler Fletcher after his international debut against Curacao.
Following the news of Billy Gilmour's injury we can confirm that 19-year-old Tyler Fletcher has been added to our @FIFAWorldCup squad after making his debut against Curaçao yesterday.
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) May 31, 2026
Welcome aboard, Tyler 🛫 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/WiYnptGg5f
Picking an unknown quantity has taken the Tartan Army by surprise, even after a positive debut showing for the 19-year-old.
That call hasn’t gone down particularly well at Ibrox, with Barron surely set to be furious after being left out of the Scotland squad in favour of a teenager.
Rangers surely fuming after Barron snub from Steve Clarke
The question Gers fans may be asking is, who is Fletcher?
He is the son of former Scotland international Darren Fletcher and is coming off the back of just 17 minutes of senior football for Man United.
The young midfielder is certainly a talent and could well be the future of the national team’s midfield, but does he really deserve a World Cup spot?
Rangers would have likely taken Barron’s absence better if someone like Miller had been given the nod after his debut campaign with Udinese in Italy.
That isn’t the case, and a rookie has been given the shirt with just two weeks until the summer tournament begins.
Barron and the Light Blues have every reason to be annoyed by the decision, and questions have to be asked of Clarke and this bizarre call.
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