CONNOR BARRON says it would be a dream come true to be part of the Scotland World Cup squad this summer, but says his focus is finishing the season strongly with Rangers.
After a disappointing few weeks, the Ibrox club will host their penultimate outing of the campaign tomorrow against Hibs before rounding off 25/26 with a trip to Falkirk, as all eyes then turn to selections for the major tournament taking place across the Atlantic.
Speaking to the media in today’s presser and having made his first start in several months in the last outing, he said: “It is a big summer for the national team, and it is one I am looking forward to, and I am hopeful for.
“Hopefully, over the next few games, I can be a part of that and push my way into the team, but ultimately it isn't me that makes the decision, so it is going to be down to the gaffer to make that decision, but all I can do is play as well as I can over the next few games.
“This is still going to hurt when the season is done as well.
“You want to win silverware; you want to win trophies, and unfortunately, we haven't done that.
“This is going to hurt, and I need to use it as fuel going into next season to make sure it doesn't happen again.
“It is massive, look, it is not going to solve the problems that have already happened.
“We are not going to get to where we wanted to be at the end of the season, but it is important that we go out and we win the next two games.
“Ultimately, you have got to win every game for this club.”
The midfielder has reflected on his own personal campaign, having taken real positive strides before an injury setback only saw him return in the final weeks of the season, insisting the team has to use it as motivation for what’s to come.
He added: “It has been a bit up and down. Obviously, picking up the injury was tough for me at a difficult time. I felt like I was doing well, and we were in a good position, and it was tough to watch the games from the sidelines and not be able to play my part in it.
“I got back strong, and I just need to go and try to play the next few games and see what happens.
“Everyone has been low; it is never nice, not just Sunday's game, the Hearts game and the Motherwell game as well.
“Coming into the split, we had an aim to go and win all the games, and we never did it.
“I think there are loads of things we can sit here and say, and it is easy to go and say it could be this, or it could be that.
“There are a lot of things that come into play, and ultimately, we just haven't been good enough on the pitch the last few games.
“It was crunch time, and we didn't get it over the line in the end. It is so difficult to take.
“It is frustrating, but we have got to use this as fuel going into next season. We know how this feels now, it is painful, and we have got to use that as fuel next season to go and push on and really rectify our mistakes.”
VIP HOSPITALITY: Combining all the passion, excitement and joy of football with an unrivalled choice of suites and packages, a matchday at Ibrox can be exactly what you want it to be!
MYGERS: From priority access and behind-the-scenes opportunities to special events and unique moments, MyGers brings you closer to the action on and off the pitch
RANGERS MUSEUM AND STADIUM TOURS: Experience the magic of Ibrox Stadium, with your very own ‘access all areas’ pass