Connor Barron received a message from Steve Clarke just minutes before the Scotland head coach boarded the flight for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it is certain to have left the Rangers man heartbroken.
Scotland received a major setback in their preparations for the World Cup after Billy Gilmour was forced off during the 4-1 victory over Curacao on Saturday, in what was their final warm-up match before departing for North America, thus ruling him out of the tournament entirely.
The injury left a vacancy in Clarke’s squad with the flight to the World Cup imminent, raising hopes among Rangers supporters that Barron could earn a last-minute reprieve after missing out on the original selection.
However, Clarke moved quickly to fill the gap, and his decision will have left Barron, along with Andy Irving and Lennon Miller, bitterly disappointed.
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Clarke delivers crushing Barron verdict minutes before World Cup departure
Speaking to Sky Sports at the airport as Scotland prepared to board their flight to North America, Clarke addressed the difficult decisions he had been forced to make and did not shy away from acknowledging the hurt caused to those who missed out.
The Scotland manager revealed he had slept little the night before, admitting that informing players they had been left out was among the hardest parts of his job.
Clarke’s chosen replacement was Tyler Fletcher, a Manchester United Under-21s player who only made his national team debut as a substitute against Curacao on Saturday.
The manager explained that Fletcher’s performance in that match impressed him enough to earn the call-up ahead of more experienced options.
Clarke named Barron specifically alongside Irving and Miller in expressing his disappointment – a small consolation, but one that underlines the regard in which the Rangers man is held at international level.
Speaking to Sky Sports at the airport, he said: “For myself, it was a really difficult night. I haven’t slept much, I have to be honest. I had to disappoint another three players this morning again and tell them that they’ve missed out.
“I just felt that Tyler had come into the squad this week and showed up really well, did well in the game, so that was the thinking behind that one.
“But, obviously, devastated for Billy, and also really disappointed for Lennon [Miller], Andy Irving and Connor Barron.”
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It is difficult to argue with Barron’s omission on paper, as Clarke is the manager, he makes the calls, and Fletcher’s performance clearly left an impression.
However, from Barron’s perspective, the decision will sting for a very long time.
Fletcher made his Scotland debut on Saturday as a substitute in a friendly against Curacao, while Barron has been a regular for Rangers, bringing energy, tenacity and technical quality to the midfield at the highest level of Scottish football.
The suggestion that a single substitute appearance in a warm-up match is enough to leapfrog a player of Barron or Miller’s experience is a tough one to swallow, and few would blame them for feeling that the goalposts had been moved at the last minute.
The best response, as always, is on the pitch. A strong pre-season and a consistent campaign for Danny Rohl‘s side next year will make it increasingly difficult for Clarke, or whoever helms Scotland, to overlook the Rangers midfielder again.
